My Aunt Debbie (Dad's side) died this morning. She wasn't really old, nor was she in particularly bad health. She just went to sleep the night prior feeling under the weather, and didn't wake up in the morning. I suppose it's a peaceful way to go, but it's still a big surprise and hard on the family.
She was always kind to me as a child, crocheting Barbie clothes that matched the ones she had made for her daughter, buying us nail polish and lipstick (my first tube and it was candy apple red). She would take us shopping and didn't care if we completely destroyed the bedroom with toys and games.
I didn't really have a relationship with her as an adult, although she did make it out to my wedding two years ago and met Dave. I know she went through some tough times, and she made it through. It makes me wish Dave and I would have driven the 5 hours to visit her when we were in North Carolina a few weeks ago, and build some sort of adult relationship.
My Dad's side of the family is communicational-ly challenged. They're the kind of people that speak their minds, see their opinion as the truth, and are easily taken in offense. Some of them are manipulative, even though they don't see themselves as such. Although I never knew Debbie to cause any drama, I'm sure she experienced it, being a member of the family.
My Aunt's death has brought all kinds of questions to my mind. Does she see everything clearly now that she's dead (free of drama, manipulation, etc)? Will she have to work through forgiving her family for the drama, or will it all be wiped clean by the atonement? If she learns new info about family members previous manipulation or drama, will it upset her? Or will she be completely at a different level of mentality that it won't even offend her.
I know in the resurrection we still have our attributes and tendencies, and we are still learning and growing. But... do we have to work through this kind of situation? Not that it's important to my eternal salvation, but what I've been thinking about today.
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I'd like to know the same things! There has been a LOT of drama on my side of the family the past few years. I have no idea how things are going to turn out in the end. I'm hoping everything gets explained and sorted out so we can actually enjoy being together again.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry about your aunt! It's always that much harder when a death is unexpected.
I think we will have knowledge of the things that we need to. I hope that in the next life we will gain some perspective and be far more forgiving, focusing rather on how to better our relationships than taking offense. At least that's what I hope for me.
ReplyDeleteThanks ladies (our should I say Aunties)! It's a difficult situation, and you're both right that it will probably all work out. It's just a difficult situation now. Makes you want to clean up any misunderstandings immediately, doesn't it?
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