Today my family celebrates the 52nd birthday of a very special lady who sadly passed away 16 years ago:'( This lady is my aunty Lyn…the lady who was my god mother and who was like a second mother to me.

The passing of aunty Lyn was nothing but gut wrenching! I remember it like it was yesterday:'( I remember her being beautiful, happy and vibrant at my twin sister’s 21st birthday and before we knew it she was in hospital having a lump removed from under her tongue which ended up being cancer! The big C word…it’s criminal, it’s awful and it’s nasty! We were so hopeful and positive that once the lump was removed and radium was administered, she would go into remission and we could go back to embracing life for what it was…sadly that didn’t happen:'(

After 5 short months of being diagnosed with oral cancer, my beautiful god mother passed away peacefully with her loved ones surrounding her. On that day, May 22nd, I distinctively remember her waking for a moment and then taking her last breath! I wanted to scream, I wanted to cry, I wanted to hurt something!!! How can life be so cruel:'( That day two little boys lost their mother, a husband his wife, a mother and father their daughter, a sister and brothers their little sister and we lost our aunty Lyn!

Not a day goes by where we don’t stop and think about her. Aunty Lyn and her family were a huge part of my childhood memories. We spent many holidays together where we would play tennis, cards, swim, eat and laugh a load! When I close my eyes I still remember her smile, her voice and her infectious laugh! I was 16 when aunty Lyn passed away and I still wish everyday that she was here with us!

But even though she is not physically here for us to kiss, cuddle and talk to, she is with us in spirit. When Elton John’s Candle in the Wind (which was played at her funeral) plays on the radio, we believe that is her signal to us that she is close by! Her time on earth may have been up, but her memory will live on forever.

Sadly, 7 years after my aunty Lyn passed away, her eldest son Scott, was tragically killed in a car accident! Once again our family was forced to face another gut wrenching situation:'( That was tough. That was indescribable pain that we thought we were recovering from and we were knocked down at the point where we felt like we were starting to get up. But to help us with the grieving process of Scotty, we will always find comfort in the fact that he is together with his mother and I bet they are having a beer together as I speak:)

Our family has been through a lot in the last 16 years, but the love and close bond we share, has enabled us to grieve together, laugh together, share memories together and pick each other up when we feel down! As much as we’ve all asked the question why us, we are now at peace that we live each day with not one, but two guardian angels who look down on us and guide us through the mystical maze of life!

Happy birthday aunty Lyn…may you and Scotty be dancing in the heavens above. We love you both and miss you everyday!!!!! xoxoxoxoxoxox