After my aunt's service, we went to the reception at my cousin's house. She is considered my second cousin since her father is my dad's cousin (their fathers are brothers)...When her parents were first married and came to the United States, the first place they stayed was my parents' house. In fact, in my aunt's memorial slide show, there is a photo where I recognized our house's ornate gold framed mirror along with my mom next to my uncle and aunt. That photo was taken in 1984.
My aunt was taken too soon; she was only 57 and had been a nurse for over 30 years. Diagnosed with cancer in early August, she soon passed away before the end of that same month. It was very touching to hear all of the testimonials from her friends, co-workers and fellow choir members. Although I hadn't seen her in over 10 years, I will never forget her kindness and generosity. They always made special trips to San Diego and even went to our wedding twenty years ago.
It was already 102F when we left the lunch reception in Moreno Valley. We wanted to have an icy dessert before heading back to San Diego...
