I'd bet they're in Heaven having a great reunion right now...

I was informed a few hours ago that my mother's oldest sister passed away. Wow! I'm really going to miss my Aunt Mary. Now, she was a classy lady. I have so many wonderful memories. She and my mother were best friends. They shared everything! I remember them having matching fur coats and hats - only the colors were opposite. One had black and the other had white.

They grew up in Yemassee, SC - a little small town. They both fell in love with Jesus and were great examples of Christianity. I remember the excitement in our home while I was a little tot when we knew that Aunt Mary was riding the train from White Plains, NY to Charleston, SC to visit our family. My sister, Sharon (yes, my wife has the same name as my sister. Nothing Freudian - I just fell in love with a woman with a familiar name is all) and I would be buzzing in the back seat of my father's green station wagon, just bursting with anticipation about what Auntie had brought us. She never came empty-handed.

Auntie had only one child. My cousin did an incredible job of taking care of my Auntie. When it was no longer good for auntie to live alone, my cousin and her husband moved Auntie in with them and kept her in their care. My cousin is amazing! She really demonstrated the love of a daughter for her mother. My cousin has two daughters who are both married with children of their own. They all created an amazing, loving unit - ensuring that my Auntie was always loved and cared for. Looking back at the heritage of African-American families, the love of our culture was clearly demonstrated by my cousin and her children.

So, now I have another loved one that has passed from this life into the next. My brother, father and mother have passed on; now my Auntie. Her passing makes me even more encouraged to live my life in a Godly manner.

I've learned so much from Aunt Mary. I sat at her feet and took notes about my family. I listened to her stories of slavery, the underground railroad, abolition, the old Pullman train, the field labor, the brutality of her younger years. I also heard the stories of her rising above adversity, defeating the odds, becoming a well educated legal secretary, demonstrating class and elegance, the glory of her later years.

My auntie was a prayer warrior - connected with prayer warriors across the country. She had a direct line to God.

Aunt Mary, I'm going to miss you. I'm glad that you got to hear my music before you left. The next time I perform, it will be dedicated to you. Sleep, now. You've fought a good fight. It's time to rest.