Jacob, Emma and Owen, this one is for you…
Five years ago I became an aunt for the first time and since then, I’ve had the true honor of watching him and his siblings grow up. Getting to experience life through the eyes of my niece and nephews has been so fulfilling for me. For me, this experience has made me so excited to be a mom some day. Good news is if you don’t plan to have kids, there’s always room in your heart to be a cool aunt. It’s pretty easy.
- Reliving Childhood Magic:
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From holiday magic to the tooth fairy, there is nothing more exciting than watching my niece and nephews experience the better things in life. Like most people, I experience a small sense of anxiety during the holidays, but it all washes away when I look at their smiling faces as they eat cookies on my bed while watching The Grinch Who Stole Christmas.
- Teaching them about new things:
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A unique experience my niece and nephews have gone through is understanding my physical disability. While for some of them it takes time, there is also a natural change in disposition when they are around me. When my niece would visit when she was younger she had a difficult time processing my disability. She would often gesture for me to go places with her when I was not in my wheelchair. We would try to explain it to her but she would just get impatient and move on without me, which I definitely did not take offense to because she always ended up coming back to me with whatever object she wanted me to see. Though I do not think about it that much, in a lot of ways I am helping them see that though we might have differences the love is all the same.
- Taking Them on Special Adventures:
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Some of my favorite memories with my niece and nephews are from taking them on special adventures. Last year my oldest nephew and niece came to visit during family weekend here at UMass. They were in awe of the fact that all these buildings were “my school”. It also helped them understand where I dissapear to as during the summer and whenever I am home, I always make sure I see them.
- Rewatching classic movies (and then their sequels):
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I love watching movies with my niece and nephews. Luckily for them, their parents are only showing them the classics. My oldest nephew loved all things Toy Story related. It was so fun going to see the latest one with them, even if I didn’t actually like it. I also saw the sequel to the Incredibles with them and we all really enjoyed that one. It is so interesting to watch their brains process movies. Sometimes I like to think about how I enjoyed movies as a kid but seeing it through their eyes is so refreshing and fun.
- Being Bonded for Life:
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Though I usually would never openly admit it, my heart grew three times its size the day I became an aunt. The minute I held each of these cuties, my heart opened up more and more. They make me want to be the best version of myself. I want them to always be able to metaphorically look up to me.
Watching my niece and nephews grow up has been the greatest honor of my life so far. Shout-out to their amazing parents, who have given them such a loving home, and I have no doubt that they will be good people. It takes a team for sure, but it is an extraordinary privilege to be a part of it.