Changes

Today is the auction. My 93 year old aunt who is now quite forgetful and more childish every day owns 40 acres of prime farm land. Her POA’s will be selling the farm to help pay for her in home care.

My aunt worked all her life until she retired at age 55. She has lived comfortably on her pension since then even including some European trips. When she was 17-18 her father died leaving her mother with 4 younger children. My dad and aunt were required to take on responsibility for the others. Dad held down the farm while my aunt worked in town for the biggest landowners there. Later she moved to a better job in a larger city and eventually moved there. She lived alone and never married. She was always free to do as she chose until she began to lose her mind, as she puts it. Now her solitude is gone. There is always someone there but that is necessary. My aunt often becomes bewildered and lost trying to understand what is going on. She seems to have many webs and veils inside her mind hiding reality.

The farm is the last tie to her early life and it will be sold today at 6 o’clock. She won’t know the tie is cut because she won’t be told. She wouldn’t remember and it would only raise her anxiety level.

Instead I will go to the auction and keep it a secret from her. It has helped to write this because I am sad that this has to be and I needed to let it go.