A Tribute to Aunt Rose on her 90th…from a lifelong admirer and fan!
Sending loving greetings to my Aunt Rose on her milestone birthday and recalling so many wonderful memories over the years.
Growing up on a rather isolated farm with no electricity, phone or running water for many years, Aunt Rose was my connection to the big outside world; she was a schoolteacher in the city of Toronto! Her visits to the farm each summer on holiday were a treat as we heard stories of city school classrooms and learned new songs to sing. All this new knowledge was passed on to my local one-room country school teacher each September; in hindsight I now know how patient Mrs. Boychuk was to listen to the tales of “my Aunt Rose who teaches in Toronto”! Aunt Rose became my penpal as over the years I wrote to her regaling her with stories of the calves, lambs, chickens and gardening ventures. She sent us parcels with clothing and gifts and when we opened them they “smelled like Aunt Rose when she gave us a hug” – her distinctive perfume.
I loved and admired Aunt Rose and planned to be a teacher just like her “when I grew up” even modelling her handwriting. However, my career path became Nursing and Aunt Rose continued her interest in my life paths. In 2003, after attending a nursing a Nursing Conference in Toronto, I travelled to Barrie, Ontario, to visit her. At that visit she presented me with the bundle of letters I’d written her over the years!
Meeting Uncle Don – your chosen “Irishman” in 1963 was so exciting! How wonderful that I, too, would marry an “Irishman” years later! Family is so important to Aunt Rose and over the years trips “out west” were made to attend weddings, anniversaries and family reunions; we became acquainted with our cousins Kimberley and Jennifer.
In recent years Aunt Rose has attended many weddings and functions in our large extended family; we are so honoured by the efforts she makes to be present.
We honour you today on your 90th birthday. You are a gift to all of us and we applaud the capable, talented, intelligent, caring and generous person you are; may God grant you good health to remain so for many more years!
With much love,
Marianne and Hugh Brennan
