My Story
This year I lost one of my closest friends. My Auntie Mandy was truly one of life's special ones, always there, never judging and always with a smile. When I first found out she had cancer I cried like I've never cried before. In fact, I don't think I'll ever cry like that again. Over the months I watched this horrible disease take over her. When she lost her hair, she sent me a picture of her smiling. When she bloated because of the chemo, she smiled. When she needed to take naps at family parties, she smiled when she woke. We spent so many evenings sitting in my mums garden, me whinging about whatever boyfriend I had at the time and she sat with me, smiling. It scared me when she started losing weight, and when she stopped having treatment. I didn't see her as much as I could of. I checked on her through her amazing daughter, rather than call her myself. I couldn't take seeing her face without that smile. I visited her too late. The last week I watched the morphine make her hallucinate, and I heard her agony when she had her injections. I told her about my children and where I bought my dress and guess what? She still smiled. The day she left us was almost a relief. She was no longer in pain, dancing in heaven with her dad to Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra, with a vodka and coke. But hearing her granddaughter cry was the most painful thing I've heard. My aunt was the most amazing aunt anyone could ask for. She had time for everyone, never judged, always had good advice. Never a dull moment with Mandy around, dancing to Janet Kay with my brother and daughter, laughing at my sons jokes, pulling faces at my nan and telling my cousin off for spoiling her daughter. But no matter how long passes, and no matter how hard it is, no matter how many times I picture her beautiful face in the chapel of rest, no matter how helpless I feel against this disease, the one thing that will always brighten my day? Auntie Mandy's Smile.
