Aunt Shirley and I were buds. She lived at the coast so I didn’t see her as often as I’d like.

One summer, I lived with her and helped her to improve her health and get off some medicines.

Our favorite thing to do was go late at night down to the Lincoln City Shilo Inn which had lights facing the ocean front and watch the waves hit against the rocks in the surf. It was therapeutic. During storms was the best. She would share stories of her childhood or raising her boys and I’d share about whatever idiotic scheme I was planning at the time.

Good times with ocean waves.

Aunt Shirley had a laugh that was contagious and loud.  

I was a large person as a child of 16 years.  I was tall (near 6’), heavy, and on this particular day dressed in non-flattering white Mexican style wedding dress summer shift.  One other factoid, my mother is 5’ tall and at the time, about 95lbs soaking wet.  

Aunt Shirley was a bit taller than mom and by girth, she looked impressively round.

In the grocery store was something new and unique.  The bread company Wonder was doing a marketing campaign for their white bread.  Their medium of choice was a rotund- mustacheo’d male ventriloquist who matched his ‘dummy’ by wearing a chefs outfit; white pants, white double breasted top, large white chefs hat - exaggerated for effect.

The marketing message was, “feed your kids Wonder  bread and they will grow tall and strong.”

For reasons I cannot fathom, my tiny, delicate mother put her hand on the small of my back- moving me forward toward the man and his dummy announcing, “This is my daughter.”

I could hear suppressed  giggles in the crowd as the ‘chef’ and his wooden companion dropped their jaws in shock and the dummy - wide eyed and droll muttered, “Boy, did she eat her Wonder!”

Laughter ensued but none louder or more enthusiastic than Aunt Shirley’s.  I couldn’t be embarrassed or annoyed - listening to her absolute delight . I just had to laugh too.  It was impossible not to.

Niece- Carol