Aunts are cool.
Close but not as dependent as a parent – Aunts can have a kind, gentle & detached view of their nieces and nephews. In many families the sister of your parent is not like your parent. Younger, more spoilt, more funky, more 60’s, more urban. and just plain more fun. The ability to tease their siblings – your parent was so liberating because if you dared to do it yourself – you’d be told off.
But however your own parent reacted to being ribbed: it was a delicious joy to watch, like an illegal, almost criminal act.
And the Aunt got away with it – not caring what the reaction was.

Aunts can be trusted advisers who have different and varying bits of advice to give. You might have to work out that they are sometimes not diplomatic, so you have to be careful what you repeat back home. A stronger bond can be formed when your aunt is a god parent where extra and bigger gifts are in order. Knowing your parent well they can explain what is happening and describe your parent in terms of being a child with their own parents and family struggles. Amazing.

At school events Aunts would be an added extra: it was usual for parents to be there.
But Aunts had to make an effort – to travel distances to make the event even more special.

Aunts have lessons to tell through books which are the first books you read.
You are open to these first books. The writing, the drawings, the shapes and colours. Lying dormant the book memories are deep down ready to be triggered into open moments of joy and remembering. 
Billie 1934-2017

Copyright Adrian Scott North London Counsellor Blog 2017
All rights reserved
Disclaimer: This weblog is the view of the writer and for general information only
This article is designed to provoke argument and critique