This story honors God, my Aunt Lulu, and the American flag.
As you read of her, I’d like you to reflect on the family members you love, miss, and hope (as in my case) to see in Heaven…

YESTERDAY I WENT TO THE DRY CLEANERS AND PICKED UP AN AMERICAN BURIAL FLAG…

I’ve told you before, if I had to give one word for my childhood it would be horrible…

And I mean it. I just want you to know that there are probably always some good times in everyone’s life even if they were brought up in a home without the teaching of God’s love. There were in mine.

Selah.

So don’t tell me you can’t fall in love with God and man! Even when you’ve suffered from pains (such as family situations which include horrific circumstances) you choose your attitude, how to move forward, and how to please God. And there is always a time when children grow into adulthood: making them accountable for their own values.

The very earliest years of my life seemed pretty good. However, my first, and one of my deepest traumatic heartaches, regarded my precious and dearly loved Aunt Lulu…

She was my mom’s sister whom I was named after. Lulu had beautiful red hair. I knew her was well at my tender age and was so close to her that she seemed like a second mother to me, a loving, fun mother. She was very nearly almost as important as my mom.

If you recall, I was named after her. Her name was Lucille. She was also called Lulu (most of the time) and / or Annie. She was big Annie and I was little Annie. Don’t call me that. I never liked Annie – hated it in fact. But thankfully, I love Ann. I think Ann is one of the most beautiful names in the world! And I get to be one!

As a child I dreamed of growing up, becoming a secretary, living with Aunt Lulu for a few years, and then getting married, having children. As a child I imagined Lulu as the same age when I would be twenty… I imagined us having so much fun living together for a few years; Lulu would still be unmarried and me too for this short time.

As a child I spent some days and nights at her apartment with my youngest brother – sometimes with all three. We always had a loving, memorable time. The memories are very slim for me though because I was so very little before she died; but I do remember the love, the longing I still have for more of her…

Selah.

There are great memories I’ll never lose. One was a cab ride to her place with my third brother. It was so fun! Even remembering the ride over was memorable!  Now that is something! My brother, two years older, and I were put in this black taxi on a dark and very raining morning. This is probably one – or maybe the one – reason I love rain! Don’t remember the particular visit after the cab ride. No matter, our time with Aunt Lulu was always special beyond words.

Another great memory is one of my three brothers and I making sleeping spots throughout her apartment. I got to sleep on some sort of serving cart. Rather, under it. I was encased in it by a blanket. This is where I first learned to make tents in the house for sleeping and playing. What fun that is for a little child! The imagination is thoroughly put to practice in tents…

It may have been this visit that I brought her out a bowl I had eaten vanilla pudding out of, telling her: “You don’t have to wash this. I got it all clean!” To this day I wonder if she knew I was teasing. I was, after all, anywhere from three to six… I think she probably thought I was quite serious.

In the back of my mind I also remember making gingerbread men cookies. I didn’t think they were that great; but I have to love them…  We made them with Aunt Lulu! They were very cute and it was my first and only time of making them.

Lulu was in the Navy. And that’s what brings me to write about her this day. Recently my oldest brother’s son gave me Aunt Lulu’s American burial flag. It’s about twice the size of the flag we fly at our home. Because my very beloved Auntie was in the Navy, I considered joining myself. I should have; I wish I would have. Back then she was a switchboard operator. I was so proud of her being in the Navy, serving our country! Please don’t forget: I was a little girl, proud of my aunt and my country! God put that in me! She didn’t see active duty – but she was military! And I was proud of Lulu, proud as a little girl could possibly ever be!

AND SHE DIED WHEN SHE WAS SERVING OUR COUNTRY:
Aunt Lulu died of a curse from Satan: cancer. She died too young and I’d always believed she died because she felt guilty of her actions. My mom told me Aunt Lulu was dating a married man. He had six children according to my mother.
Even then I knew she was wrong.

Love is a powerful force. I was far too young to speak to her about this situation; my mom wouldn’t have wanted me to. But I still loved her. Isn’t that just as God would have me do? If she had lived longer and I was who I am as like today, I would have challenged her with truth. You see, I have no idea where my Aunt Lulu went when she died. No one in my family ever talked to me about Heaven and how to get there. I wasn’t allowed to go to her funeral. I wanted to. To this day I still believe my mom was wrong to ban me from it. People die. This is a fact of life that will be faced by all before the eternal separation of the sheep and goats… (Those who choose to love and belong to God and those who do not.)

The American flag for Lulu’s is now in my home. Duane and I are going to fold it and put it in the same type of military display case it came with. That I didn’t receive. You know, when Aunt Lulu died the flag was given to her sister, my mother. And I wanted it then. But little girls can have great wisdom and I respected and loved my mother too much to ask her to give it to me. It’s simply a desire I’ve had all my life to have this flag. Two of my brothers didn’t want it. My eldest brother had it for a long time and now his son has passed it on to me. I will never part with until I’m gone… It is one of my most valuable possessions.

I give honor to God for creating an aunt I’ll never stop loving and missing until I’m in Heaven. I thank Him for the time, short as it was, that I had with my ‘second mother.’ I miss her to this day, but the tears have stopped. I thank God for her service to our American Navy and the good works she’s done and hope (not pray, for she has passed) I will see her in Heaven. And I honor our flag. I always have.

NOTE: for you who hate America – work to change our wrongs, doing nothing wrong yourself in this work – or leave.

I pray for you who read this to honor God, pray for our country, speak against our laws evils (such as murdering unborn people) and give thanks for all those who have greatly blessed your lives.

SCRIPTURAL TRUTHS FOR THIS JOY STORY:

Psalm 116:15
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants.