A eulogy for a shining light in my universe.

I first decided to write a poem to define the sweetness and love and golden character of my aunt Evelyn who we lost so recently in tragically unexpected fasion. And trying to do this I could not find myself capable of it. This was not because I cannot write poetry. I consider myself to be a fair poet and have always written a poem about someone I loved who has died before. It's just us everything I was trying to describe sweet charming who entered my Sphere of influence for a brief time on a universal scale was too large and Grand a soul to encompass in a poem. Poetry captures an incident a moment or a person or an event in sharp concise words that describe the essence of that being. Aunt Evelyn was so much more than that to me and so much more to everyone then a short sweet tune. She was a whole huge resounding musical concert. For some people she was a great Shining Light in the Darkness. For me she was a warm nurturing presence and a freind filled with love light and laughter. She sparkled like cgampagne and flowers on acfresh spring morning.So I decided to try something different and write something different to encompass the Grandeur of Evelyn Strickland who great light in darkness that had a heart of pure gold.

Something I have done before only once or twice is written a eulogy for a person who has passed. I guess you could say I have the religious background for this being a former High Priestess of a Wiccan coven. I had Schism of faith and now practice as a solitaire. I thought aeulogy would be most fitting to describe my love and appreciation for the warm Charming loving nurturing presence of Evelyn Strickland and the impact she had on my life. My plan is to just place this on her facebook page so that those who remember her and come to her page to remember her can read my interpretation of the beauty of the soul that was Evelyn absolute impact of amazing influence she had on so many lives. This will not be like your normal eulogy in that I will not describe when and where she was born or moments of her childhood or the friends that she had. I just want to try and Encompass the magnitude of her being as a soul and the impact her life had on others here.

She was in truth my mother's sister. My mother and her were not only sisters but best friends. After she lost my mom she had trouble sleeping. My mom was also a lovely woman very warm gracious and Charming who would give the last piece of clothing She had to keep someone else warm or share her food with anybody it was hungry. Evelyn told me that after my mom left she had a lot of trouble sleeping. Although she got over it for a long time she was angry with God for taking my mom away from her. They were almost Inseparable together my mom Mara and Evelyn my aunt. I like to think that now they're together again although I don't know my mom's Soul might have moved on. Aunt Evelyn was very much like my mom in that she would share what she had with anyone and she had a big heart. Unlike me she did not give up on love but was always willing to love again. I am happy sge found John and their joint companionship enriched eachother's lives. She loved good friends and laughter and Good Times. As a family we really love good food and getting together to enjoy that food. A lot of time when I spent with her was taking her out to eat many places because we both love to eat.

I can only call her mom because to me she was matriarch of her family. She held as us all together near and far and included many friends as family too. She was really the glue that held our family together and now I'm afraid that we might fall apart now that her warm loving influence is not among us anymore. Evelyn enjoyed musuc also a love other things musical like karaoke. I never had the courage to get up in front of an audience and sing. but my aunt Evelyn would get up there and belt out those tunes and love it in the process then totally enjoying herself immersing herself in the shared pleasures of song with others of her friends who sang. I was privileged to be around her several times when she sang in different places that we visited. I guess you taught me mom how not to be so self concious and shy from this lesson. She definitely wasn't shy. Trying to learn more like this from her because I've been a person often that it hides in shadows not looking for any notice. Aunt Evelyn's charm and warmth brought happiness to anyone she met. I'm sure she has many many friends I could tell you so many stories about her. To me she was Mom. She always remembered my birthday and Christmas because holidays and family were very important to her. Nothing much just a warm pair of socks or several warm pairs of socks and maybe some hand towels or something like that. This said to me that she loved and cared about me. It was always made special and always more because it always included with a warm card that said love Auntie have and then in brackets second mom.

She taught me many lessons. Some were very big and some were very small. For a big lesson I would have to say that she was always there filled with love and support whenever I needed to talk. When I fled my recent marriage that labded ne in a womens shelter with barely the clothes on my back she was always willing to spend time with me on the phone even though I couldn't go and see her as much as I wanted to we always managed to talk at least once a week. She helped me through this last year which has been very difficult for me. And she taught me that I am a strong capable person myself and I can stand on my own two feet. By example I don't need another person in my life to fulfill her complete me I'm a complete person on my own self. Her biggest lesson to me was love. When we were growing up our families lived close together so I consider my cousin's to be more like brothers and sisters and my aunts to be Mom's by extension especially Aunt Ev who is my mom too.  You can ask that anybody who knew herand they'll tell you that she has a heart of gold. I always saw her as being much younger than she was because she has such an innocent purity and love life.

Aunt Ev mom loved the glitz and Sparkle of casinos. I guess it was a flashing lights in the excitement of being able to win more than you put in. We're kind of opposed because I I never could see the value of gambling much. But a Casino was where we were when I learnt one of the best small lesson she ever taught me indirectly.

We were all in Montreal to celebrate my a Ruth hundredth birthday. Aunt Ruth was my grandmother's sister. There were three sisters and they all live very long lives. There was great-aunt Ruth who I think my Aunt Ruth my grandmother's daughter was named after. And there was great aunt Linda who I believe my cousin Linda may have been named after but I'm not sure about that. Anyway while we were there we had a birthday party for a nice restaurant. One of the things we did when we were there is Aunt Joyce and Aunt Ev wanted to go to the casino. They started playing the machines near the front where we went in and in five minutes my aunt Evelyn at spent $20. So April and I wondered off towards the bar talking about how we thought it might have been a waste of money to lose $20 in 5 minutes. April and I sat down at a table in order to Singapore slings. Server brought the drinks and the bill. He said that'll be $20. April and I looked at each other and burst out laughing. Because if gambling is a waste of $20 isn't buying alcohol? This lesson kind of humbled me. In the later years I don't think Aunt I have visited the casino much I think she got over and she instead played computer games that were of virtual casino slot machines On her facebook accountpage there's not many pictures for photos that she has on her page mostly photos of wins that she made on games. That's my small lesson.

Anyway aun Ev mom was an integral part of my life and I miss her very much. And for me the only name that describes her that I could call her is mother. She adopted us all when my mom passed away 23 years ago. And she was my mom before that too because she has to take care of us as well as her own children my wonderful cousins David and Linda. Of course they hold our secrets of childhood the people that are older than us in our families. I was a year old when my cousin David was born and my aunt have has a picture of me and him. She's teaching me how to be a mother and nurturer like her because I'm holding powder and I'm powdering my cousin David's bum after he's been needing a change. It's a sweet picture but I hope we don't find it when we're searching through photos. Just one of those cute embarrassing childhood moments. I love my aunt have with all my heart.

I have lost such a wonderful person in my life. My whole family has and we're devastated. I know that these seem like prosaic words but you never truly lose someone you love. The people that we love are still inside us from the lessons and love they gave us. When someone is inside your heart they can never really die because they're part of you. I myself believe in eternal life but not in the way that Christianity teaches. I'll also know that I have been here before and I will be here again many times. The people that we love and Cherish in life and love with us repeat in Cycles with us. But we can not really lose them. They are safely tucked away in the treasure of our hearts and souls. You can not lose part of yourself that holds your list loved ones because they are part of your being. And while you're gone Aunt Evelyn because you have left the mortal realm of five sense reality you still live on in me and others through the abiding power of your love. When that final sun sets on my reality you will still be with me because I hold you in my heart. I love you