Remembering Aunt Flora

Every time I see a box of 

chocolates,

I think of my great Aunt Flora.

Whenever we would go to visit Aunt Flora,

she always had a box of chocolates ready for me to take home.

Before my mother owned a car,

we had to take a bus to visit 

Aunt Flora.

She lived in between two very busy streets

near the center of Old Town

in a very tiny apartment.

I remember walking in the front door and seeing the back door within arms reach.

The small, teeny, tiny kitchen had a stove and small refrigerator.

Across from there was her bathroom,

which was probably the biggest room in her house because it had a sink, toilet, and small vanity.

Her living room doubled as her bedroom.

She had a small chair, a small table, and a small couch which converted to a bed.  

Her home was immaculate.  Nothing was ever out of place.   

Of course, when we arrived, she apologized for her house being so messy.

It was obligatory.  My mother and grandmother always replied that her home was always spotless.

She smiled, pleased.

When we left, either on the bus or my mother's car, I was handed a box of chocolate candy.

She smiled when I squeeled with delight.

Of course, I had to share when we got home.

This tradition continued when I took my children to visit Aunt Flora.

Aunt Flora is the beautiful woman sitting in between Jenny and me.

As you can probably guess, Aunt Flora was a devout Catholic.  See the Infant of Prague statue on the right?

There were others statues (Santos) all over her apartment.

I only wish I had one that she had to remember her.

She loved God so much!

She prayed without ceasing!

She prayed so much that her knees turned black from kneeling on the floor.

She told us that she used to bleach her knees to get them back to their natural color!

I miss her.

I think I need to pray to her and ask her to intercede for me with the God she loved so much.

I think I'll ask her to teach me to pray like she did.

I don't think I'll pray so much that I will have to bleach my knees, but,

who knows?
I'm at the age where I can do odd things and people will only shake their heads and say,

 "It's her age."

 

 

"Aunt Flora, you loved God so much.  Pray for me please.  Teach me to pray with my heart the way you prayed when you were alive.  Teach me to pray with my heart.  Help me to love God and serve Him as you did.  I don't keep bleach on hand all the time, so, I want to pray, but I don't want to bleach my knees!  Thank you  Amen."