Lessons from a Prior Generation: How to be Great at Being a Great Aunt?
Our Aunt Kathryn
Maybe it isn’t the status of being a grandparent, but being a Great Aunt plays a vital role in the life of a Great Niece or a Great Nephew. This responsibility should not be taken lightly. A great aunt can provide guidance, support, and love to their niece or nephew. They can also serve as a source of wisdom to demonstrate and teach the family’s values.
Take, for instance, my Great Aunt, Aunt Kathryn. She was a formidable example of a caring but strong-willed and disciplined woman. She lost her husband only a year after she married in the 1920s. With no kids of her own, she dedicated her life to the family business. However, she was surrounded by her nieces and nephews, with whom she provided an example of good business practices and values.
We were in a retail business where lots of cash went in and out the door, from people buying the morning newspapers to cashing their weekly checks. Cash was abundant. I vividly remember stacks of money, from one-dollar bills to fifty, neatly stacked, all facing the same way. Some bills were even ironed to create a smooth stack to be counted meticulously.
Being surrounded by all that cash instilled a lesson in honesty. Although the money was precisely counted, what harm would it be to “borrow” a dollar or two? That was unanimously deemed unacceptable by my aunt, grandparents, and mom, who also worked there. Never would we even think about taking a dime, much less a dollar. She accurately accounted for each cent by counting it over and over and over. So precisely did she know the amount, even the bank couldn’t match her preciseness when she caught many mistakes by the local branch down the street.
The lesson of responsibility started young. My aunt entrusted us to take thousands of dollars of cash to the bank down the street. As young as first grade, I carried a cloth bank sack filled with cash, coins, and checks to be deposited with our local savings and loan. The walk wasn’t far, but we carried the bag discreetly to avoid potential theft. Another skill learned is awareness of surroundings for safety reasons.
She instilled the lesson of generosity. Since our parochial school was just across the street from the family store, we visited every day before and after school and often during lunch. Immediately after entering the store, she was there to greet us. She welcomed us with various available treats, from ice cream to candy. She gave with her heart and loved seeing our smiling faces as we sincerely thanked her for the tasty treats. This gesture also prompted our good manners to come through.
She ingrained my aunt’s keen skill in organizing. From the time we could walk, we helped stock the shelves with goods. It started with candy, something that would interest a child, but moved into the entire store’s inventory. Everything was to be neatly arranged and fully supplied. When items were low or out of stock, we knew how to reorder and were encouraged to do so. The concept of FIFO (First In, First Out) was introduced long before any business class.
I learned valuable lessons from my Great Aunt Kathryn that I hope to pass along to future generations: Honesty, Responsibility, Generosity, and Organization. Overall, a great aunt can play an essential role in a niece's or nephew's life by providing a loving and supportive presence, sharing family values, and offering guidance and advice when needed.
What would you like to pass along to the rising generation as a great Great Aunt?
