Aunt Louise

I have an aunt Louise. She's two months older than me. (My mom and dad started young, Grandma and Grandpa kept at it.) As a kid, I loved calling her "Aunt Louise," a little taunting--a lot endearing, and she returned the favor with "Roch junior." But, when holidays and family gatherings brought our Florida and North Carolina families together, we were always more than aunt and nephew, we were great friends

We only manage the occasional email and even rarer phone call now. I think that's okay. Our childhood memories are what we mostly have in common anymore. But still, even with our limited involvement with each other, that doesn't keep me from being incredibly proud of her and impressed by her.

Louise is single, a school teacher and a mom. She became a mom about ten years ago.

Sometimes the heart doesn't cooperate with the plan's of the head, add the whims of unpredictable men and there is a lot that can go wrong, a lot that can throw a woman off track. But Louise did not allow herself to be consigned to the circumstances of fate. She decided she was going to be a mom and she became one.

She went to Russia and adopted her lovely son Nicolas. Truth be told, I thought she was a little crazy -- I mean, could she make it any harder? And yet, nearly ten years later she and Nicolas are, as Louise decided they would be, a family.

Here is a recent picture of Nicolas.

Nicolas

That picture was taken last week...

... in Russia...

...where Louise and Nicolas are in the process of adopting Aleksi.

Nicolas and Aleksi

And that is what I can tell you about my Aunt Louise.

Aleksi and Aunt Louise