"Great" Aunt Aurora (Aurore in French, a beautiful word meaning "dawn") was a special person, always a lovely woman with a smile and spirited demeanor. I was always happy to see her at family gatherings (and sometimes I would write some French to her for practice, as I did with Grandma, too!) She and my grandmother, Lorraine, were spiritual women who were so caring of others, especially on their pilgrimages to Medjugorje and other retreats. Genuine people like this are hard to come by. My mom said she looked like an angel when she saw her just hours before she passed away. My husband and I were able to attend the funeral mass and it was very moving and well-done. From our family to yours, we know she is putting a smile on God's face now. Our condolences, Susan (DeFelice) Perry and family (LInda, Joe, Joey, and Jonelle DeFelice) Susan (DeFelice) Perry (Derry, NH)
Posted by: Susan DeFelice-Perry    May 27, 2008

This is an excerpt of a letter I wrote to my cousin just after Ora died last week. I thought I'd brave the waters and post something to get us started! How nice to hear from you! When I read your note, I thought of how Ora took Donna and me to lots of places as we were growing up as well. She certainly made my childhood a lot more enjoyable. I always felt that she went out of her way to make us happy, and I never forgot it. I always remained fairly close with her, but after Donna died in 1999, I felt that it was my turn to strengthen the bond and give back a little of what I had gotten from her for all of those years, I like to think I made a difference in her life, as she had in mine. I'm so sorry to see her go - I wanted a little more time to have those last meaningful conversations... Tonight I was talking with my brother George, and said as much to him. He said the best thing - when someone is dying, the people around them feel like it's time for those last intimate moments. Probably it's the last thing on their minds, and probably it never happens. When my mother was dying, we knew well ahead of time, and yet when she died, we were consumed with the feeling that there was so much else to say and hear. It's a feeling I'll never forget, but now I realize that it's the feeling of losing somebody forever. I hope I take away from this experience the understanding that if you have something to say that's worth saying, you'd better say it while you still can. I would love for my children not to have to feel that feeling of unfinished business when my time comes.
Posted by: Joyce Harty Wakefield, MA   January 31, 2007