Bittersweet August

August is a bittersweet month for my family.  Several birthdays to celebrate --

my dad, my uncle, cousins, mine ...

 and my Aunt Hilda's birthday ...

 

A few years ago I wrote a series of posts about my silent milestone "48"... here's the links:

 A Silent Milestone ... Remembering ... Reflection ... Revealing

 

 

The morning of August 15, 1980 ... my Aunt Jacqueline "Hilda" had taken her youngest daughter to shop for clothes to start high school.  Coming back home on the wet 2 lane country road -- the semi truck had been swerving and going across the solid yellow line.  In the straight stretch about 12 miles or so from home ... the semi driver was across the yellow line again --- this time he smashed into the car going in the opposite direction ...

my Aunt & cousin.
He was driving drunk.

 

Sometimes I can remember that day like it was yesterday. One of my cousins came to pick me up early and seeing her drive up to the band building, I told my band director that something was wrong and that I had to leave.  (I returned 2 weeks later.)

 

{I won't go into detail right now but sometime in the future I do want to write it all down for my future generations to know what an awesome Aunt we lost that day.}

 

The days that followed were vivid but yet a blur as well.  I was 15 years old at the time.

One of my uncles birthday is August 16 ...

 

The evening of August 17, 1980 was the visitation at our small home church. About two miles from our homeplace. I have never seen so many people from our little community in one place than that night!

 

The date on pic is prior to but this was the size in 1980.

 

Everyone was devastated ...

especially my Granny {Lucy}

 

The rainy day of August 18, 1980 ... we said our final good-byes to my

Aunt Jacqueline "Hilda" on her 48th birthday.

 

August 20 is my Daddy's birthday ( he will be 77 this year -- and still working)

 

August 24 is my birthday. 

I turned 16 just nine days after "the wreck" ... this year I'll turn 51.

 

Not a day has gone by that I haven't thought of my Aunt Hilda ...

and I know that one day I will see her again.

 

 Heaven certainly gained a special angel 35 years ago ...

and her legacy lives on through her namesake --

our daughter Jacqueline.