they like me! they really like me!

when i married my husband, i inherited an amazing family. i love his family as if they were my own blood. ive always said that they ARE like my family...only nicer! :)

it couldnt be more true when it comes to all of my nieces and nephews. i never had any before i got married, and i was thrilled to have a big family. when i first met them, i was a hot commodity. especially with the older ones, dayna and emily. they adored me. i was an icon. i was the cool auntie lori. well...now they are both teenagers. they dont get so excited to see me anymore. now its all about my son. which im totally cool with! i get it. but i just assumed that they really didnt give me much thought anymore. then dayna showed me an essay she wrote for a school assignment. i was so touched by it. i cried. it meant a lot to me, and i always meant to post it. so here is an excerpt from her essay. by the way...my niece knows hows to type with the correct punctuation. i dont have the patience for that. so the lack of proper capitalization and punctuation is my doing...not hers! i assure you that her version was done correctly!!!

my mount rushmore

by dayna *******

throughout my life, there have been several significant individuals who i have come to admire, respect and aspire to take after. these people have aided in the shaping of the person that i am today. i can always count on them for guidance, and try to portray the same role they took on in the community. four individuals who make up my mount rushmore, include my grandma vicky, my aunt lori, anne frank and jackie robinson.

*my note: she talks about how grandma vicky is the best grandma and survived the holocaust; anne frank and her courage and optimism in a horrible situation; and how jackie robinson was the first african american baseball player in the major leagues. 

this is the paragraph where she discusses me:

my aunt lori came into my life only 5 years ago when she married my uncle dan. from the beginning, we knew that aunt lori was going to be a perfect addition to the family. whenever she came over for our family gatherings, her personality would light up the entire room. she is a person that i always look forward to seeing. about 3 years ago, my aunt lori was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. she has struggled day in and out with this terrible disease, suffering through surgeries, and chemotherapy. however, you would never know by looking at her. she is the most upbeat and positive person that i have ever met. despite the tragedy in her life, my aunt lori still goes strong. she is a true leader, trying to help others with ovarian cancer by speaking at different charity events, playing a major role in the relay for life, and generally assisting others in the community that suffer from cancer. the qualities that make my aunt lori a leader are her perspective on life and ability to connect with all different types of people. my aunt lori has so many loving friends that cherish her presence and her outlook on life.

my grandmother, aunt, anne frank and jackie robinson are four extremely qualified people that make up my mount rushmore. their beliefs and personalities are a kind that every leader of today should possess. they give me more than enough reason to be my role models.

* me again 

so now i have tears in my eyes once more. i just feel so honored. first of all...that dayna even thought that highly of me. im soooo touched! and secondly....that im in a category with anne frank! i feel like an nominee for an academy award, and im just thrilled to be nominated in the same category as these people. its kind of funny. and very flattering! i guess im still the cool aunt! who knew!?

thanx dayna. i love you!

xoxo