My Kind-Hearted Aunt Midge
Rachel Kra Schaum
As I write this, I struggle to find the words that I can use to capture the memory of a person who is more than a collection of stories, but a person whose memory is a warm emotion that lies deep within my soul. What can I write to depict my relationship with Aunt Midge, who was a pillar of love and kindness my entire life?
Aunt Midge was one of the “snuggliest” people that I knew. This impression came from more than her frequent confinement to bed; it was a feeling that she gave me from repeatedly telling me, “Rachel, I love you so much. I don’t think that I could love you any more than I do.” She would follow this with a heartfelt smile to express her love.
The tenderness and affection that Aunt Midge provided me started when she cared for me when I was an infant, so that my mother could go to work part-time. While I obviously have no memory of this, I can testify that I have subsequently witnessed a special gift that Aunt Midge had with infants. You could hand her virtually any infant and within minutes, the baby would be completely relaxed. She had a soothing energy, a beautiful voice, and a gentle touch that allowed babies to just “melt” in her arms.
Growing up with the “other” Kras in the neighborhood meant that we would often see each other. I remember hearing my aunt magnificently singing along with the chazzan each Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur, eating her beautiful meals when we went to their home the first night of each Sukkot, and devouring her amazing stuffing on Thanksgiving. In fact, as a child, I remember that the grass was always greener at the “other” Kras. They had better breakfast cereals, snacks, TV, and they had Nintendo long before we did! As a child, I remember that one summer they even had a hammock in their backyard. As you can imagine, I loved going to my Aunt Midge and Uncle David’s house!
I remember that when my parents went on vacation, they would sometimes send us to my Aunt Midge and Uncle David’s home. My Aunt Midge would try hard to accommodate us to make us feel as comfortable as possible. This included catering to my brother Josh’s picky eating and my latest diet. While I didn’t appreciate it at the time, I can only imagine the difficulty of managing an extra three, demanding, kids.
In recent years, Aunt Midge always welcomed me when I visited her. She would warmly greet me, even as she became sicker and had limited energy to expend each day. (She had a way of explaining her limited energy by comparing it to spoons.) I would often see her push herself to use every last bit of energy that she had when family and friends would come to visit or if she was invited to a family gathering. She would rally herself together because she loved everyone so much.
It’s hard to imagine that Aunt Midge is not physically with us anymore. But I can tell you that she will forever live in our hearts as a loving and caring person who wanted to give of herself to others.
Rachel Kra Schaum
As I write this, I struggle to find the words that I can use to capture the memory of a person who is more than a collection of stories, but a person whose memory is a warm emotion that lies deep within my soul. What can I write to depict my relationship with Aunt Midge, who was a pillar of love and kindness my entire life?
Aunt Midge was one of the “snuggliest” people that I knew. This impression came from more than her frequent confinement to bed; it was a feeling that she gave me from repeatedly telling me, “Rachel, I love you so much. I don’t think that I could love you any more than I do.” She would follow this with a heartfelt smile to express her love.
The tenderness and affection that Aunt Midge provided me started when she cared for me when I was an infant, so that my mother could go to work part-time. While I obviously have no memory of this, I can testify that I have subsequently witnessed a special gift that Aunt Midge had with infants. You could hand her virtually any infant and within minutes, the baby would be completely relaxed. She had a soothing energy, a beautiful voice, and a gentle touch that allowed babies to just “melt” in her arms.
Growing up with the “other” Kras in the neighborhood meant that we would often see each other. I remember hearing my aunt magnificently singing along with the chazzan each Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur, eating her beautiful meals when we went to their home the first night of each Sukkot, and devouring her amazing stuffing on Thanksgiving. In fact, as a child, I remember that the grass was always greener at the “other” Kras. They had better breakfast cereals, snacks, TV, and they had Nintendo long before we did! As a child, I remember that one summer they even had a hammock in their backyard. As you can imagine, I loved going to my Aunt Midge and Uncle David’s house!
I remember that when my parents went on vacation, they would sometimes send us to my Aunt Midge and Uncle David’s home. My Aunt Midge would try hard to accommodate us to make us feel as comfortable as possible. This included catering to my brother Josh’s picky eating and my latest diet. While I didn’t appreciate it at the time, I can only imagine the difficulty of managing an extra three, demanding, kids.
In recent years, Aunt Midge always welcomed me when I visited her. She would warmly greet me, even as she became sicker and had limited energy to expend each day. (She had a way of explaining her limited energy by comparing it to spoons.) I would often see her push herself to use every last bit of energy that she had when family and friends would come to visit or if she was invited to a family gathering. She would rally herself together because she loved everyone so much.
It’s hard to imagine that Aunt Midge is not physically with us anymore. But I can tell you that she will forever live in our hearts as a loving and caring person who wanted to give of herself to others.