CHRISTMAS IS...

Christmas is so magical and wonderful that it conjures up all kinds of images...
Here are a few things I see when I think of Christmas.

I really think someone took a picture of the inside of my mind because this is exactly what it looks like on December 24th!

There are a myriad of miraculous Christmas images. What kind of Christmas is in your mind? Because that is the one you will ultimately experience.

My precious Aunty Helen is, was, and always will be the true embodiment of Christmas to me. She is what Christmas is all about....Pure LOVE & LIGHT. She spread joy wherever she set foot. Now she is my true Christmas Angel...FOREVER AND EVER AND EVER AMEN. Every image of her, just like every Christmas with her was precious and sacred!

and happy too

My wish for you is to bring forth a little more comfort and joy into your holiday. With The Spirit of Aunty guiding me I believe I can. We love you! And, that is a great place to start.

WHAT PATH ARE YOU ON?

With my feet firmly on the ground, I close my eyes and this is what I see. I am on a Christmas Path....covered, followed, and guided by angels. I am blessed.

Aunty loved Christmas more than anyone I know. Now, I live and love in her legacy..

Each Christmas is like the first. Following her light I see the season through the eyes of a Child! If you are feeling you would like to enjoy the season a little more, just stay with Ageless and the Spirit of Aunty will take you to some wondrous places. This I know for sure.



CELEBRATE YOUR INNER AUNTY...

The color of Aunty...

Grab your party beads, your Hawaiian lei and celebrate your inner Aunty…

Its Christmas time and I'm struggling with the loss of Aunty. Still, she is everywhere! It's as if she doesn't want to leave me, as much as I am still holding on to her. Every room in my house is filled with her spirit. This is a good thing because her spirit is such a happy & grateful one. On the other hand, I'm always reminded that she is not here physically.  I can sense her, but I can't actually see her. And even though I am very sad, there is an enormous comfort in knowing,  believing, and feeling, that she is still, and always will be, with me. Quite simply, it's worth repeating… Aunty is all around.

Several months ago for no particular reason I took the above picture of Aunty’s bureau. It is so telling of who she is and what she is all about. First of all, it's colorful. Second, there are lots of family pictures (you can’t see them but they are there), and it's covered with her favorite things. Aunty's trademark high heel is there. High heels had to be one of her most favorite things. She was stylish till the end. There's perfume and plenty of lipstick, two things she enjoyed immensely. She’s got her bobby pins stashed away and her Mardi Gras beads ready. Aunty was always celebrating life. She celebrated each day of living. Joyful to simply wake up and breathe! Grateful for a simple hello. Even her multi-colored wreath of flowers symbolizes her genuine affection for all.

And the name tag: Helen showed how often we would go places. There was always a name tag on her dresser representing her myriad of activities, from the ladies church meetings, to the tea parties and lectures. What a life, what a woman. I am reminded of this throughout the day, as I walk by my little Aunty shrine to get to my office.

What’s displayed on your dresser? What does it say about you?  Is it time to clean it up a bit? Add more color? Or is it time to simply be more grateful for whatever it is that you already have? In case you didn’t notice, Aunty’s old jewelry box has no expensive diamonds or platinum….but; she led a treasured life…and a gloriously rich existence. If we had to measure her service to others throughout her years of living, she gave more than the weight of the earth in gold!

How I see Aunty

Thanks for stopping by, and in some cases opening Ageless from your inbox. I am healing and it’s taking some time. However, little by little I will get back to that place of full enjoyment living with that all out Over-the-Top zest! I’ll take you along on that magic carpet ride that was just about to lift off before Aunty got sick…  With blessings from above, Guardian Angel Aunty is preparing the path for some pretty big things to come my way…

You are invited…so stay tuned to Ageless with Aunty

  Happy Holidays

resembles Aunty as a child

THE ANGEL MADE ME DO IT...

KICKING UP MY UGGS

A couple of weeks before Aunty passed, she heard me talking about my annual Christmas stroll. Her immediate response was "Can I go?" More than anything in the world I wanted to take her, but I had a strong feeling she would not make it. So, in keeping with Aunty’s jolly spirit  I promised myself that I would go to stroll just like I do the first Friday in December every year. The last thing Aunty would ever want me to do would be to break tradition and not to celebrate the season wholeheartedly. One of the greatest gifts we shared together was a hearty celebration of the holidays… Most of all Christmas! This blog is a testimony to that. Just scroll around to see.

So I grabbed my little boom box, dusted off my Santa Uggs, and headed to Newburyport, Massachusetts. I picked up a few friends along the way, pulled into Starbucks and ordered  four Crème Brule Latte’s. Then, in my version of a sleigh-ride, I rolled the windows down a bit, turned the carols up, and headed north.

There is something rewarding, comforting, and always welcoming when you uphold tradition. Pulling into historic Newburyport Center welcomed by the glistening shops, chill in the air, and the tall evergreen brought me right into Christmas. I felt my little Angel Aunty beside me at all times. I smiled. One of my friends put her arm around me and the gang strutted across the cobblestone. Tea shops, toy shops, jewelry shops…. we hit them all. One of the best parts of the evening was the love I kept receiving from my festive friends. Lori had on her flashing earrings, Helen resembled a slim version of Mrs. Claus, and my new friend Christine wore a lovely tiara. They dressed for the occasion because it was Christmas time, but they also did it to make me happy. And it did. Knowing that I usually enjoy rising to most  occasions with suitable garb and often over-the-top accessories, Lori  enjoys saying, “I need a special wardrobe to hang out with you Renee.”  

We exuded so much spirit we manifested our own elf!

Though it may not always be easy this time of year for one reason or another, I would like to urge the readers and followers of Ageless to get out and do something fun even if you are feeling blue. Losing Aunty is the hardest thing I can imagine, yet, I can’t think of a better way of honoring her then by celebrating life, and in this case Christmas. She is Christmas. And by living the joy this time of year should bring….well, somehow it brings her closer. What a satisfying feeling.

If I spend the rest of my life keeping her spirit alive…what a “wonderful” life it will be! By the way, Aunty’s favorite word was w-o-n-d-e-r-f-u-l.

This Holiday Season be more Aunty-like. When you keep your heart open surprises abound….

TAKEN AT THE PARTRIDGE IN A BEAR TREE

NEWBURYPORT MASSACHUSETTES

INVITATION NIGHT IS ALSO FRIDAY DECEMBER 9TH 2011...

GRAB YOUR SANTA CAP AND GO!

A SHOWER OF PEACE AND LOVE...

the warmth of Aunty's rays aka

the Aunty Connection...

I know that I have to go on with my life even though Aunty is no longer physically present. This is a hard thing to do. Since I was born I have never been without this woman. She is such a spectacular soul that losing her is that much more profound. However, when I just used the words “spectacular soul,” I realized in that moment that Aunty is still alive (in spirit) and always will be. And, even though I have been crying A LOT lately, on the deepest level, I know that Aunty is watching over me and is truly my precious Guardian Angel. To validate this… take a look at the picture I just received. It is hard for me to put into words how the above picture makes me feel. My friend took this shot as I was the last person to leave Aunty’s glowing grave site. This glorious photo captures everything about my relationship with aunty, and her divine presence, spirit, and soul! That woman was so much larger-than-life. She is life itself. And by that I mean after life as well. This gives me great peace. When I'm feeling sad and blue I will just look at this picture (which will be enlarged to the highest degree). As my friend said when she sent it to me "Aunty is all around you." If you look closely you will see Aunty sending me rays of light to comfort me. I raise my arms to receive her gift of pure love.

For anyone who has lost a loved one that they were close to, you know they are never too far away. When the love is that deep, that real, that solid, not even death can take them from you. Because I know this to be true my tears lessen, and I put the boxes of tissue aside, and enjoy looking at the above picture instead.

I take enormous comfort in knowing that I will always be connected to Aunty. This picture, the feeling in my heart, the cherished memories, and my continued communication with aunty prove it. Aunty is everywhere I am! Our bond is unbreakable.

In some upcoming posts I’ll be sharing some of the highlights of aunty’s wake and funeral. I'm still getting lots of heartfelt compliments regarding those "wonderful" holy events. Many have used the word “enjoy’ when referring to the experience they had during Aunty’s final send off. All the goodness and light that surrounded and emanated from Aunty during her life followed her to the world beyond. Her wake and funeral were joyous and, I am told, deeply gratifying for everyone present.

selfless humility and virtue: Aunty Saint Helen

So it is with great happiness that I announce aunty is alive and well (in a differant form of energy) and sending blessings to me, to every else who loved her, and to the followers of Ageless!

Real soon, I'll be getting back to my own life and what this blog is all about… Enjoying every day to the fullest, staying ageless in the process, and most of all, being happy. More succinctly… simply being Aunty!

As a perk for following Ageless, I promise to share with my readers as Aunty continues to teach and guide me.

Happy holidays….Happy Aunty!