I am thankful for my dear niece.  The one positive thing that resulted from losing my sister suddenly 13 years ago is the fact that I have the most wonderful relationship with my niece one could ever imagine.  She is not only my niece, but also my sister, my best friend and a daughter all rolled up into one human being.  Oh, and my doctor (she’s a med student who gets some wacky medical questions from her Aunt), my therapist and parenting counselor.

She is truly a treasure.  I am grateful that my sister gave birth to her and made me an Aunt in 1987.  I still vividly remember shouting to my friends that spring morning in my high school parking lot…. “I’m an Aunt! I’m an Aunt!”  My sister would be so proud of the woman she has become.