05:17 pm - About My Aunt
There is an article about my aunt in today's Washington Post. (I'll try to pick up a copy later as a souvenir, but if that fails, I have a printout-or-photocopy already.)
Several years ago, I got the idea that I could somehow cheat death a little if I could arrange for my last words to be something that few people could remember without laughing despite whatever sorrow they were feeling. Ever since, coming up with such a bon mot has been a sort of background project.
Now maybe this loses a little if you didn't know her, but this afternoon I learned that my aunt's last words were, "Holy moly!" I can't help hearing those syllables in her voice and thinking, "Hey, she beat me to the funny-last-words thing!" Gotta give her points for that.
I mentioned to my cousins that every time I try to picture aunt Adelaide in my mind, she's always laughing. (Also, as it turns out, in a lot of photos of her.) They agreed, that's how she appears in their minds as well.