My Aunt Clara made it all the way to 100.5 beautiful years of life. And some of the greatest family times (among many) happened on July Fourth during special birthday celebrations. This remembrance comes your way from July4, 2011.
Born on the Fourth of July
“Okay, if you were born while Archduke Franz Ferdinand still had a pulse, please stand up.”
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“Hmmm, I don’t see anyone standing up. Oh sorry, you are standing up (Guess I won’t ask if any of y’all are still over 5 five feet tall.)”
So in 1913, Franz F. hadn’t yet started WWI, Babe Ruth was 18 years old and his life expectancy was a ripe 50 years.
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“And if you don’t launder your own clothes or do your own gardening, please sit down. And just so you know; it’s okay by me if you’re still blood doping or doing HGH.”
“And so what if it’s my laundry we’re talkin’ about (Hey! Don’t judge; haven’t you ever heard of senior fitness programs?) And, remain standing if your B-day is on the Fourth of July.”
“Aunt Clara, it looks like you’re the last retiree standing…I think.”
If you guys somehow wound up being suckered into receiving the Temple City Dental Care (TCDC) Inner Circle online newsletter, you’ve seen my Aunt Clara.
Aunt C’s words of wisdom anchor our newsletter in much the same way she’s anchored our over-grown and now over-spread out Sicilian famiglia. And if you have a problem with any of the incredibly creative newsletter text, Aunt Clara will advise you to “breathe through your nose.” (It’s totally possible both the verb and the object of the prepositional phrase got mixed up in translation during the trip from Palermo but I think you get the drift.)
Aunt Clara is 98 years old today and that may be a world record for sharing love, commentary, and inspiration.
Can you imagine being a production manager in the garment industry into your 80s? How about being my cousin’s full-time no-nonsense healthcare advocate in your 90s? And what about still looking over the steering wheel? Or breaking your arm at 97 and then putting in another couple of hours in the garden.
I’ve reached a chronological number that’s impressive even in dog years but because of my late parents and Aunt Clara I’ve never had to wonder who I was or where the love was coming from. Our nightly talks cover everything from sports and politics to family and even Lindsay freakin Lohan.
Back in January, a nasty cold turned into a stubborn, heavy cough and Aunt Clara wound up in the hospital with congestive heart failure. While doctors and relatives proposed all kinds of measures, some far more invasive than others, I knew the choice needed to come from the only person in the room with a clear head and 98 years of experience. “Jack, I feel better; get me outta here.”
Today we’ll be celebrating the Fourth/98th with a pizza/ salad combo and some Sangiovese. And it shouldn’t be too difficult getting the B-day girl to tell the stories I love about the old days and the turn-of-the-century LA arrival of a huge loving Italian family.
Lately, Aunt Clara had actually been bragging some about coming up on Year 98. A new goal is seeing the Clippers make it to the NBA Finals; don’t know about the Clippers but I wouldn’t bet against Aunt Clara.
Happy Birthday!