Everything changes

Well, it was a big moment weekend. First, I became an aunt again. My sister had her first baby, Declan. From pictures, he appears to be sweet, yet grumpy. So he’ll fit right in. Mama, baby, Daddy and sisters are all doing well. I’ll go over and see him in real life on Wednesday. As an older sister, it’s my job to come over and coo and fuss over this new little person and tell his mama what a good job she did. And as an aunt it’s my job to tell him he’s perfect and I will love him forever, no matter what.

Then we celebrated my niece’s 18th birthday. Truly a rite of passage. She’s actually my friend’s daughter. But she came along at a time in my life when I was ready to be an aunt, and my brother and sister weren’t ready to oblige. My friend is a single mom, so having another adult who was willing to give her some occasional breathing space was a good thing. So we’ve done movies and plays, and shopping and ice cream, and talked about important stuff.

So, as her birthday present, I took her to see a play on Sunday night. It was billed as a cross between High School Musical and Lysistrata. Right up her alley. And as we were driving downtown, I remembered the first time I took her out was to see Stuart Little. I got a little misty. I also told her after the show, that now that she’s 18, I don’t have to worry about being a bad influence when I take her to see something a little racy. Something I started doing probably a little earlier than a responsible adult should. Then again, what’s an aunt for? The kid has seen a lot of raunchy comedies, and has a pretty damned good sense of humor for her age. Something I take some modest credit for.

But now that she’s an adult, and she and her mom don’t need my help so much any more, I guess it really becomes her choice on whether we stay friends. They grow up, huh? Oh, shoot. Misty again.

Ah, well. And get ready, Declan, my boy. Auntie’s got things to teach you.