For the longest time there was just Jason to spoil and love. My sister Michelle was the first get married and start a family. We all spoiled him and loved on him. There were three years between the births of her first son and her second son. Jason was the center of our family gathering and celebrations.
When he was about two we all met in Charlottesville, VA around Thanksgiving. We walked around the Lawn (the grassy located behind the main building on campus) following Jason around. Where he wandered we wandered. A man walked up to my mom after we had been strolling a few minutes and commented that there really needed to be another little one added to the mix. It looked so funny to him to have five adults trailing behind one small boy.
It took another year for my sister to have her second son and two years for my sister Kate to start her family. As each new child joined the family, they were loved on and spoiled almost as much as Jason had been.
It wasn’t until my sister Kate had her son Charlie that my sister Michelle got to experience deep aunt love. She told me that it had taken root when she had arrived to help with Charlie shortly after he was born. It was profound and taken a special place in her heart.
Michelle had thought it had happened to me due to the fact that I didn’t have children. I remember her telling me she had always thought it was a little odd that I loved Jason so much. Looking down at little Charlie in his isolette had instantly created in her that special connection that you are blessed to can with your sibling’s children.
It wasn’t until JDaniel was born that I got to experience a mother’s love for her child. I am so thankful that I learned about aunt love first. My sister’s children helped prepare me for the magical love that I have for JDaniel.
I love this because i completely relate… And my nieces and nephews are very much like our kids… but they are moving away and it breaks my heart!
Great story. It sounds like you have a wonderfully close family.
So sweet. My sister has a daughter and I love being “Aunt B” and doing girly stuff with her!
I so understand this. My sister’s kids all came first and I loved them fiercely from the time they were born. Even though we live far apart, I love sending them little cards and stickers and calling them via skype. It’s the best kind of love (except for a mother’s love).
Aunt love can be very strong!
That was very touching. I do believe that you are as wonderful an aunt as you clearly are a mother. 🙂
A sweet and touching story.
I get it – you bet! We were aunt and uncle for seven years before we were parents, and the love we have for our oldest nephew is enduring. He will turn 35 tomorrow and will always have a special place in our hearts.
I am the youngest out of all my siblings so I had several nieces and nephew before I ever had my own. I love being an aunt, it helped prepare me for when my own arrived.
What a sweet and loving post! You are truly blessed!
Wonderful post as Judie says above!
XOXO Lola:)
JDaniel is a very lucky boy too!
We are halfway across the country from nieces and nephews…much too far! We have missed out on a lot of good things…
What a sweet tribute. Kids are such magical beings, aren’t they!? 🙂
A very sweet and touching tribute…and being one who doted on my nieces and nephews for many years before I was able to have children of my own, I can relate to your post.
Wow…powerful moving post! So true that my nephews hold a special place in my heart.
Your adoration of your child is moving. A very loving post!~Ames
That was a wonderful story.
Wonderful! I know just what you mean. That was the same that happened to me.
Barb
So true! I became a Mom before I became an Aunt, but I still remember how incredible it felt to see my nephew for the first time.
I can completely relate to being an Aunt. I have 1 nephew who just turned 21 (today!) and have never had the opportunity to have my own children.
Being an aunt is what gave me the baby bug in the first place! 🙂
how wonderful that your family is so close …
That is so sweet…a loving family.
Aww, this is such a sweet post 🙂 I love how you and your family are so close. Family love is always one of the best loves to have in your life. I also think that you love being an aunt. I became an aunt 3 months after I became a mom and there was just so much love being shared between my sister, me and our kids. I think we’re lucky to have had so many kids to love 🙂
That’s a really captivating post. I don’t think I’ll have the change of being an aunt as my elder sister won’t be getting married anytime soon.
How amazing it is that our hearts can open and love a little person we don’t even know who they really are yet! We just know they belong to us and have a little piece of our heart beating in theirs. My son and daughter in law just told us we are going to be grandparents for the first time! Now I am faced with what will that really feel like? I am so excited for them to know the love of parenthood.
Thanks for stopping by my blog and leaving me a comment come again! I enjoy knowing people are getting something from it.
I became an aunt at the age of 13 so I completely understand anunt love. I had three nieces before I ever had a child of my own. I now have 5 nieces and only 1 nephew and since I only have sons, I love having all those girls to buy girly gifts for.
How cute! I was just five years old when my first nephew was born …I was the baby of 5 kids. That nephew was born the day after Christmas when my college brother was playing football at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. My parents saw their first grandchild on television! At half time, the commentators held up a picture of the newest University of Missouri Tiger! Thanks for bringing back that memory … and thanks for visiting my site.
How sweet! I am very far away from my niece and nephew and sad that I can’t be more a part of their lives.
The same thing happened to me….My niece was born when I was in 7th grade and I was so close to her that I’d beg to babysit!!
XO
What a beautiful post…Your love for your son is so evident in your words..the writing is simply lovely!!!
What an unforgettable post.
I always loved being an Aunt, too, but there is something about children that changes the whole scope of emotion.
Being a Grandmother is beyond that even.
It’s hard to put into words, but you did a superb job.
Thank you for linking.
I admire you so much.
A+
I love being an aunt, too. But I was the first of my sisters to become a mother, so I was a mom first.
My nieces and nephews are amazing, exceptional people. Like you, I love my sisters’ children!
=)
You’re both blessed with each other….
Kids have a way of making life complete 🙂
Hi Jdaniels mom, I loved my aunts but being one myself , I don’t get to see my nieces and nephews at all and they are all grown up now 🙁
However, it was neat to be around my sisters babies for the time that I did spend with them . Children are wonderful and as far as your comment left on my blog, it honestly isn’t that difficult to talk about . Thanks for sharing.
Oh my bad, It wasn’t you who said it must have been a difficult post to write . Sorry it was Gabe
Children are an amazing experience, and I love my nieces and nephews to pieces, but then you have your first child…
…and you realize that you now know the greatest love in the world.
I have aunt love too! I am aunty to 10 children ranging from 22 years to 3 weeks! And I love them all.
Great post Aunty, we are lucky ladies
I know what you mean. I shall always be grateful to my brother for letting me babysit his kids so many times when they were much younger. I have wonderful memories of those days.
I really think that being a mommy is the best love I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing… it is just magical and there are no words to explain it!
Glad to hear that you feel proud of being in your unique position…
family is special, what a loving U.
🙂
Awwww….you are the best!
I feel the same way about having been an older sister to much younger siblings. Taking care of and being around them paved the way for motherhood!
Aw, Auntie love is great. My younger brother insists he will never have children. Typical 21-yr-old boy. 🙂 But my husband’s brother has three, and I am very close to them. I love being Auntie Mel. It was difficult for the middle nephew when my son was born. He was a bit jealous at first, but now he adores the baby. While there’s no comparison to a mother’s love, an aunt’s love is a super duper close second. :)Visiting you today from BWOMM Time Travel Tuesday.
So sweet. I feel that way about my nephews and wish that they were closer so I could spend more time with them.
I think that my sister has that type of connection my oldest too. She was single & without kids of her own when I had her and she was always taking her here and there or for the weekend.
Hi! I’m stopping by from SUYL. Love this post! Very heartwarming.