Wednesday, August 28, 2024
An amazing woman. It not surprising that she was strong. Raising 5 boys is not for the fainthearted. Many from the WWII generation drew upon some deep reserves, but Aunt Bebe would surprise many a seasoned, scarred vets.
My first impression of Aunt Bebe was a ramrod straight, but tiny wisp of a lady who sized you up instantly with a sharp appraising eye, backed by just a hint in her eye of wit and humor. She was direct-- as all of her siblings were, sometimes following an appraisal with a laugh. That laugh measured the present against the past and found something funny in much of it. I’m sure the funny material came from 5 smart boys, and a large boisterous, and equally clear spoken set of siblings.
Bebe must have had a spine of aircraft-grade aluminum. Not only did she live past her first century. But she did so unbent, unbroken, with most of her wits about her and quite a lot of spunk still in her. Whereas many age, rust and bend with time, Bebe held straight, stretched to her full height, casting a shadow that was far taller than the five feet (max) that she was.
And she managed this after a catastrophic accident that shattered her bones and left her bleeding. Bebe army crawled up the stairs to rescue above--she was in her eighties. It was too much to expect her to ‘come back’ after such an event, but Bebe did.
She survived the devastating loss of two much loved sons, more painful than the rest of life by far.
Aunt Bebe with her straight stance, shows the world that sometimes strength looks a little different. She may have looked like a kitten, but –man—this lady was a tiger.
