Aunt Helen

We buried Aunt Helen yesterday. My hope is that everyone could be as blessed as I have been to have an Aunt Helen in my life. My dad was one of 11 children. When he was four years old his mother, Ida Brinkley, died and his father remarried. Dad was the youngest of the first set of children. His siblings that I remember were Aunt Maudie,Uncle Don, Uncle Irvin, Uncle Carsee, and Uncle Lester.

The second set of dads siblings that were younger than him were Aunt Helen, Earlene and Jeanette. Their mother was Ila Mae Brinkley. Jeanette is the youngest and the surviving sister in Dads family. Dad spent a lot of time at Aunt Maudie's growing up and I know he looked to her as a mother figure. Because of that she was the closest thing to our grandmother on my Dad's side. Aunt Helen was the next closest sister that I remember.

When I was young we spent many, many weekends going to Phenix City, Alabama to visit my Aunt Maudie and of course we always went to Opelika, Alabama to visit with Aunt Helen, Uncle Bill, Suelane, Faye, Billy, Gerald and Tony at the farm. Uncle Bill and Aunt Helen lived in a big white farmhouse on the many acres of land that they farmed. It was a magical place and time for me. I can remember myself, my two brothers Curtis and Bill, and our cousins running around barefoot on the warm sandy soil playing until our hearts were content and we were exhausted.

Then we'd come in and sit around the long table with benches on both sides and be served a feast cooked by Aunt Helen. Homemade biscuits, fresh butter-beans, corn on the cob, black-eyed peas, etc. and then we would have fried pies for dessert. Nobody could beat Aunt Helen's fried pies.

While we were there I would visit the outhouse if I needed to go to the bathroom. Now, this didn't bother me because I thought it was fun and unique and I knew I would be going home to inside plumbing. I remember a well on the front porch and we would drop the bucket in the well, draw up water and quench our thirst with cool water straight from the tin dipper. When the weekend was over we returned home to our every day lives looking forward to the next visit. The visits were magical. As the progression of life continued we became teenagers and no longer wanted to go and visit anyone with our parents - heaven forbid! Then all of our cousins as well as ourselves started our own families and ties were forgotten.

Yesterday, February 14, 2010 at Aunt Helen's funeral all of these memories and feelings came rushing over me like a tsunami of water. I am so very thankful that I was able to go and once again see my cousins - though it was a sad time. I walked around the old Shiloh Baptist Church cemetery looking at the graves of my grandfather (Will Brinkley) and grandmother(Ida Brinkley) that I never knew. I saw the grave of my precious Aunt Maudie (another story in and of itself) and other relatives who have gone on to be with the Lord.

We then went out to the old farm place on Herring Road. My cousin Faye had told me the old farmhouse had long ago burned down and a new brick home had taken its place - but that the barn was still standing. We finally turned into what I thought was the long sandy driveway to the farm and as we drove up I could see all of us kids out playing around the barn.

Memories came flooding back as well as many emotions that I didn't quite know what to do with.

It was bittersweet. I was so thankful for the wonderful memories, but I was sad that those times were gone and would never be back.

With all of Dad's siblings gone, except for Jeanette, it brought on the realization that we were the next generation to become the elders. It hit me like a brick wall - I felt so old (I know 55 is not really old, but it felt that way). I couldn't help longing for simpler times and the carefree days of childhood. I took pictures of the barn and I am going to post one on here as well as post a poem I had written many years ago about memories of visiting Aunt Maudie and Aunt Helen's. Two of the most precious women you would ever want to meet.

I'm curious to know if you had an Aunt Helen and if you've had some of the same feelings I've had over the last couple of days. If so, write and let me know about them. I could use some support right now. Thank you for letting me share my memories with you!

MEMORIES TRIGGERED

Mimosa trees-

Green leaves-

Pink Blossoms-

Memories triggered-

Childhood gone-

Never forgotten-

Hot summers-

Long days-

Night songs-

Garden growing-

Fresh food-

Home cooking-

Aunts & uncles-

Cousins & brothers-

Friends & family-

Time gone-

Childhood memories-

Never forgotten-

DEBORAH MALONE