Once upon a time there are 5 sisters born to a policeman and a homemaker. They each have different characters and temperaments. Three of them work in education, one in fashion and beauty, one in health.
ALL of them can cha-cha, in sync, at the drop of a hat.
Over the years their relationship with each other have been unpredictable, but as a collective force known to their nieces and nephews as The Aunties, their ability and willingness to defend their family against all kinds of aggression and their propensity for fun and laughter, is second to none. Which is why when I say The Aunties, I mean it in the way you would say The Sopranos.
Ever since my paternal grandfather passed away and my grandmother has allowed age to take over her mind and body, The Aunties have taken over as custodian of the family. There are times when I don't see eye-to-eye with The Aunties, but these times are few and far in between. It is difficult to stay mad at them and this is a fact I readily admit. They don't have the use of guns like The Sopranos to help you change your mind; instead The Aunties use the memories of great times to make you realise that it's pretty cold out there on the ledge. And in my family, this means no family functions where you bask in the familiarity of family quirks and language, laugh until you cry, cry until you laugh and then break into song and dance in two shakes of a duck's tail.
It has not escaped me that my sisters and I have developed the same quirks and traits as The Aunties. As do all their daughters, my cousins. Perhaps we have the less favourable traits as well, but let it be known that The Aunties have taught all of us how to dance and laugh, and spend the best of times with family. And they have taught us so well.
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