Earth day and other observances dot fill this month, but for me April always starts off with remembering a person who had a significant impact on my life personally.
My aunt was born on the first day of April, which always made her birthday easy to remember. But her life has been easy to remember because of the impact it had on mine. Although we lived in different states, she would often visit our family on holidays, graduations, and even birthdays to spend time with us. She also hosted us for at least a week so we could enjoy a summer vacation away from home, taking us to amusement parks, BBQs, afternoons of bowling, and the movies. As a child that wasn’t fond of spending hours playing outdoors in the summer heat, the temperatures felt unbearable.
I preferred staying inside with a book or —in my teen years—at the mall window shopping. But the chance to have a summer vacation away from home was something I would look forward to with anticipation. We saw her so often that years later when I had the opportunity to intern for her local city paper, it didn’t feel like a big adjustment to move down for the summer to stay with her.
Her actions were simple, but almost two decades after her passing way too early, I’ve found myself reflecting on her life throughout the years and wanting to have a similar impact for the littles in my life. Because even though time’s steady pace feels like it’s been pushed into warp speed, I know the Littles will not stay little for much longer. Soon they’ll be off to have adventures of their own and competing priorities could limit how often I see them. But while they have the availability and time, my plan is to have those quality moments that provide funny stories they’ll be able to reflect on and remember when I’m gone. And although they’re the outdoor-loving children my aunt would’ve loved to have known, I may plan a few outings for my nieces at the beach and park in honor of her.
Regardless of how much time she had, my aunt’s effort and simple gestures are what I’m endeavoring to emulate. We often find ourselves busy with the day-to-day activities and sometimes I feel overwhelmed by them, but then I remember that it doesn’t require a lot to have a big impact.
Oftentimes, legacies and good memories are built by a little effort, enthusiasm, and forethought and that’s more than enough to inspire the next generation to toward their own plans of action.
