The Kind of Aunt I Want to Be ☕

Christmas Day 2021, I got a call…

My sister-in-law was pregnant! 💙

I remember exactly how it felt, a mix of excitement and I cannot wait to be there for this new little person!

And then a month later… another call.
Another baby! 💙

And just like that, my life started expanding in a way that had my heart bursting with love.

Over the years, it only kept growing.

I married my husband, and suddenly I had three more little besties.
My best friend had two as well.

And now, there are nine loves of my life. 😍

Nine little humans who will grow up in a world that looks nothing like the one I grew up in.

And loving them has changed the way I think about everything.

I think about winters in Denver.

What they felt like in 2016 when I moved here from LA.
My little red car buried in snow. Shoveling sidewalks. Real winter.

And what they feel like today.
Shorter. Warmer. A lot less shoveling.

This year, we’ve had less than half the snow we used to expect.

And it makes me wonder…what kind of winters they’ll grow up experiencing when they come to visit?

And it’s not just the world around them I think about it’s the examples they’ll grow up with.

I didn’t grow up with a lot of different versions of what life could look like.

My mom was a stay-at-home mom. There is so much love, sacrifice, and strength in that.

And, somewhere along the way, I internalized that it was the only path for me.

Not because anyone said it directly
but because I didn’t realize there were other options.

And what I’ve learned since is this:

There isn’t just one right way to build a life!

And that’s what I want them to grow up knowing.

I want to be the person who says:

💪You can do anything
👌You can change your mind

I want to show them:

💖 What it looks like to create a life you’re passionate about
💖 What it looks like to take care of all parts of yourself

But more than anything, I want them to feel love.

I want to show up. Be present. Listen. Spoil them a little…okay, a lot!

Because what kids remember isn’t the toys
or the distance between visits.

It’s how you made them feel.

Being an aunt is something I feel deeply.

Because I don’t just want to be part of their lives,

I want to be part of the way they see the world,
and the way they see themselves in it.

Maybe they won’t remember everything I said.
Maybe they won’t remember every gift.

But I hope they grow up surrounded by incredible examples of women.

• moms (they have the best ones),
• aunts (so happy to be among them),
• mentors, living all different kinds of beautiful lives.

I hope they know they can choose their own path,
build a life that feels right to them,
and be loved exactly as they are while they figure it out.

And if I can be even a small part of that

that’s more than enough.

xx auntie sis, auntie meg