Cayce's Aunt Patsy passed away this morning. I received the call while I was driving and immediately the tears started streaming down my face. Aunt Patsy has been weak and in declining health for years but still, the news caught me completely off guard. It's never easy to say goodbye to someone you love...
I know Patsy before I knew Cayce. She was a Vice President at ACU and I got to know her as a student through my work in the Alumni office. She made such an impression on me from the very beginning... She was so professional, knowledgeable and wise. She was polished, poised and articulate. And she was personable. It seemed she knew everyone and they knew her... and yet she continued to reach out and get to know new acquaintances at every opportunity. That's where I came in. When we first met, I was just a student worker in her office - yet she made me feel like I was just as important as the most affluent alumnus and donor the university had ever had. I say this because she took the time to get to know me - and remember me. She asked me questions and because of her wealth of knowledge in so many areas, she also taught me so much. After I graduated from ACU, I was offered a job in the Alumni Office. Patsy's office moved to a different location in the same building but because Alumni and Development were so closely tied, our paths continued to cross frequently.
And then, there was mine and Cayce's first date... Well, technically it wasn't supposed to be a first date - he was just accompanying me to an ACU event in Dallas - but it sure ended that way (we fell madly in love that first night). Okay I digress. So on this first date, Patsy (who was in Dallas for the same event) insisted that Cayce and I join her, along with some other Powells for dinner in downtown Dallas before we went to the Myerson Symphony Center for ACU's function. Until that night, I had never been to such a nice restaurant and I certainly had never met any other Powells. Patsy made sure I felt comfortable and at ease through that entire meal - and I did. She also educated me on the Powell lineage in relationship to ACU - those of you who knew Aunt Patsy are laughing right now because you know exactly what I am talking about. Oh, how she loved her family and oh how she loved ACU.
Fast forward, 3 months and Cayce and I were engaged, planning a wedding for 3 months later - which required money - much more than we had. So Patsy insisted I move in with her - to save money. And again, she made me feel comfortable and at ease - and at home. She didn't want me to feel like a guest in her home - she wanted me to feel like family and I did. I always liked to joke that Aunt Patsy was the "hostess with the mostest" - meant only as the highest of compliments - because she loved to host family and friends and she was always so gracious, generous and kind. In a way, she was a hostess to me from our very first meeting, but it went further than that...
Both of my grandmothers passed away when I was young... and in thinking back through the flood of memories I have with Aunt Patsy, I think she filled that void I'd had in my life. She took me in and loved me as only a grandmother could... and for that I will be forever grateful.
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