As I am sitting here, watching my almost two year old nephew play with his favorite cleaning toys, I realized how blessed I truly am to be his aunt. Being an aunt is one of the best things that has ever happened to me, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Being an aunt means that you get to hug and love on your niece or nephew, even take care of them for a while, but then you get to give them back to their parents. Playing mom is fun for a time, but at this point in college, it is an extra perk to be able to give them back.
I have never loved anything quite like I love my nephew, and it is a love I can’t really explain. When my sister first told me she was pregnant, I was ecstatic. I have always loved babies and children, but I didn’t really understand how it was about it impact my life. I anxiously awaited his birth all throughout her pregnancy. Anything that I saw that I thought would look cute on a little baby boy, I bought.
When he was born, I was lucky enough to be the first one other than his parents to hold him. As soon as that baby was laid in my arms, something changed. I felt this instant wave of protectiveness come over me. I knew that from that day forward, I would do anything I could to make sure he was safe and happy.
As he has grown, it has been such a joy to be able to experience all of the initial changes that happen in babies. He began to hold up his head, sit up, roll over, crawl. He took his first steps and said his first words, and by the time he turned one, I felt like I had blinked and he became this whole human being with a personality and everything.
Being able to watch Drew grow up into a sweet, loving almost-two-year-old is one of the greatest gifts I have ever received. The auntie life is almost as great as the mommy life, but at this point, it is perfect for me.
My greatest joy in life is being able to call my nephew on FaceTime and see his face light up when he sees my face or when I walk into his house and he runs up to me and says, “My C!” He’s one of my best buddies and my favorite person.