Shining Time Station

Aunt Peggy passed away today. Vickie had told me a few months ago that she was sick and not feeling well, but I didn't realize it was this kind of sick. She was living in California, and has for as long as I can remember. Kelli told me today that they called in hospice to take care of her and she was unconscious. She'd hired someone to come in and take care of her I guess, but that nurse stole her money and her credit cards (seriously. who does that to a sick person? Who does that at all let alone to a sick person??) Peggy passed away this afternoon.
Aunt Peggy is my dad's only sibling. His dad died when he was young and his mom wasn't always able to take care of him. So he had Peggy for a while. When I was growing up we got to talk to her on the phone all the time when we were over at Dad's. And when I was 11 we got to go on a trip and stay at her house for a few days. I was so impressed - she was so loving and kind and she really went out of her way to make me feel special. She was a little eccentric and very much an individual. She was also artistic. And each room in her house had a different shade of old fashioned velvet wallpaper. The furniture was the victorian antique kind and she had statues and columns and fountains in her backyard. Her house was such a wonder to me as a kid!
I wish we could have seen more of each other. And I hope she knows that she was loved. I'm not quite sure what to say, I'm not very good in these sorts of situations, and I get all awkward and weird. I wish that I had the gift of words like other people I know - and knew just the perfect thing to say and do at just the right times.
I feel sad for my dad. I hope that he doesn't get too lonely. I'm grateful he has Vickie. Neither of them are very sappy people :), but I do think this will be hard on my dad. And I'm glad he has someone there to be with him.