My Great Aunt Gladys Was A Woman Who Inspired All

My maternal grandmother had a sister named Rachel Rebekah, but for some unknown reason everyone called her Gladys, My great aunt passed away in 2013 at age 92 and left a lasting impression on everyone she came in contact with. This could be good or bad depending on the situation, because Rachel Rebekah was strong willed. When the neighborhood children heard that Ms. Gladys was coming to visit they would scatter and run away from our home. When her name was mentioned it was like on television when someone would say “It’s the fuzz,” or “ Scram, it’s the cops.” This was because my great aunt was a strict disciplinarian and would be harsh on our friends if they got out of hand. Once when I was about seven or eight aunt Gladys came to visit and one her son’s drew her ire. She chased my cousin through our front yard and round and round a big tree with a switch in her hand. This cousin would have bern 16 or 17, 6 feet tall and about 260 pounds. It was a really funny sight to see him running from his mother who was about 5 foot 3 and weighing about 140 pounds. Everyone who saw it laughed until tears ran down our faces.

On this particular day the neighborhood children had not run away because Auntie Rachel Rebekah was busy in the kitchen cooking, She had peeped outside and determined that we all were playing nice, and left us alone until she caught a glimpse of the activity of her son and a few of his friends. They were seated at a folding table playing cards and this infuriated his mother. She was of the mindset that you did not engage in certain activities on Sunday, because she believed it was the Lord’s day. I’m not sure if my cousin simply gave up or became winded because of his weight but his mom caught him and whipped him and then it was all over. I’m so grateful to Aunt Gladys for leaving me such fond funny memories to cherish.

Whenever our church held the annual homecoming, aunt Gladys would order everyone around because she worked in the banquet room of a local hotel. She conducted herself as if she knew more than everyone else and it rubbed people the wrong way. She would re-decorate, move centerpieces, and change the position of napkins and silverware. She had a look on her face of accomplishment as if she had saved the day. Aunt Gladys was not malicious or arrogant, but seemed to truly believe she was always saving the day.

You may be wondering what on earth was inspiring in this bossy woman and I’m glad you asked that question. I have shared these aspects of my auntie’s personality to show that she was human and that all aspects of her life worked together to inspire me. Too often when heroes are written about they are painted in a one dimensional saintly manner as if they walked on water and could do no wrong. Aunt Gladys was multifaceted and her strength and resolve to do things her way with no fear was admirable. She was married to my uncle for forty years until his death and they raised four children together. Her being authoritative and bossy was balanced by her kindness, generosity and loving personality. This made her the sum total of who she was.

My great aunt was respected for her compassion for helping the sick. She had worked as a nurse assistant for a while and maintained her white uniform. When family members or friends were hospitalized she would stop whatever she had been doing and don her attire and sit by their bedsides. No one ever had to ask, she just did it. Often she would have discourse with hospital personnel, even doctors, as if she knew the answers and they did not. She would feed and bathe the sick as though she were on the hospital staff. I also saw a sweet side of my great aunt that was personal for me.

After my parents divorced in 1963, my dad moved to New York. My two younger brothers lived with my mom in the same city where Aunt Gladys resided and I lived with my grandma and great grandmother in a small town in the county about 12 miles away. On my sixth birthday Aunt Gladys, who did not drive, got someone to drive her to my home and she made the day really special. She brought me a strawberry cake with strawberry icing and it is my favorite cake to this day. Aunt Gladys took me by the hand and walked me the three blocks to one of the local stores where she purchased me my first Barbie doll and I never forgot how special I felt. To think thst my great aunt card enough about me to go to all this trouble was amazing. Twelve miles is not that far, and back then with less traffic on the highway was only a 15 to 20 minute drive. In my young mind, my aunt had moved heaven and earth to make sure I enjoyed my birthday. After all, she was not my mom, grandmother, or an aunt, but my great aunt and she had a daughter who was just seven years older than I was. I really enjoyed the special attention she gave me.

When I was nine I spent the weekend with my aunt and had the time of my life. In the county we had outdoor toilets and washed up in tubs. This was my first time in a real bathtub and it was amazing. My aunt had a box Mr. Bubble, bath powder and I gleefully poured the mixture into the warm water. I was disappointed, however when Mr. Bubble did not rise from the soapy water and greet me. I actually believed at that time that the television commercial was real. On Saturday my aunt and her good friend who lived next door, took me and her friend’s daughter to what would be my first time in a movie theater. We went to the Terrace Rocking Chair theater in Roanoke, Virginia and saw The Knome Mobile.

When I was attending the local community college and riding the bus back and forth, Aunt Gladys suggested I stay at her house instead of traveling back and forth from the county. I lived with her all week and went home on weekends, even during the summer so I could work. This arrangement lasted until I got a permanent job and purchased my first vehicle. My aunt Gladys did not save the world, or do anything that would give her worldwide acclaim, but she left a lasting impression on me. For whatever reason my mother did not attempt to have a close relationship with me but my aunt filled in the gaps by giving me many firsts and making me feel loved. Her over the top attitude entertained the neighborhood children and gave us fun lasting memories.

I gave my auntie gifts on Mother’s Day, Christmas, and her birthday and whenever she asked for a ride, I gave it to her and I’m certain she knew how much I appreciated her. When I was pregnant with my first child. Aunt Gladys hosted a baby shower at her home and she gave my son his first pair of those high top white baby shoes that used to be so popular. Everyone said I look more like aunt Gladys than her own children, but I have no pictures of us together. That’s why I’m so thankful to be able to recall all the wonderful things she did that make me admire her. I’m a very grateful gran sobrina, (great niece) who loved and misses her tia abuelo, (great aunt).