Aunt Lil was born on December 15, 1918. She died April 4, 2009.
Aunt Lil lived her life well and was one of those elders who showed the way without showing the way. Lots of cards, books, laughter and food. Lots of friendship.
In reading this letter now I realize how important the birds are.
Miss you so much Aunt Lil.
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Delivered to MGH via Patient
Email
Friday morning
April 3, 2009
Dear Aunt Lil,
I’m sitting here looking out the window at birds.
The Goldfinches like the seed cake. Every day the males have taken up a bit more yellow.
The Pine Siskens love the thistle and they cling to the seed bags and go for it.
The Mourning Doves with their OcooO-OcooO-OcooOs peck at the thistle on the ground underneath the bags. It’s amazing how much of that stuff is there.
The Bluejays take peanuts I’ve left on the café table and fly off to hide them in their stash. When I hear the rusty hinge I know they’re here.
The garden is so gray now, but life is coming back—the birds say so.
And this morning, Jeff and I stood out there and saw little green shoots of crocus and daylily poking through the mulch. He is anxious to get out there and work.
Last summer, early in the morning, I was sitting out there with Keksi and a woman out with her dog walked by. She yelled “Love the flowers!” from the street and I invited her in the yard and introduced myself. She said she’s been amazed at the transformation of lawn to garden and I told her how nobody knew Jeff had a green thumb, and that it started with some iris and peony and then she said, “and he didn’t know when to stop.”
Anyway, it’s so nice to have the garden. It ranks right up there with sauna and juustoa as positive things in life.
Oh, and being on the water.
Thank goodness the ice is going!
You told me once that your father would be happy I have a sailboat. I think you are right about that. Life is very good on the water. And you know what? I think August would also be happy in our garden.
Love you!
Mary 