My Aunt Knew How!

This is an unsigned collector's or studio button, a monochromatic transfer on porcelain. This one is in my favorite color, but there is more here than meets the eye.

Why did my aunt have this button in her collection? I'm sure it was attractive to her artistically, but there was more to it than that. This button reminds me of the most important thing that I know about my aunt: her faith and the object of her faith.

My aunt was a loving wife and mother, a cherished daughter, sister, aunt, cousin, and friend. But of all her relationships, the most important to her was her personal friendship with God. She was a Christian first -- and I understand that. So am I.

Maybe the most important thing her life of faith taught me was how to die. From the time she was diagnosed with terminal cancer until the moment she drew her last breath, she demonstrated to her loved ones how to face death with grace and how to embrace eternity. The idea of death isn't necessarily a popular topic, but the strength and courage that I saw in my aunt was amazing. She had no bitterness, she didn't ask "why me?"

My professional life was spent mostly in hospitals. And during those decades, I was exposed to the joys of childbirth, the heart break of ill health, and the fragility of life. People face their final moments in different ways -- some with fear and some with grace and hope. 

I firmly believe that the most important task in life is finding out how to die. My aunt knew how!