All life must come to an end

We had my aunts funeral yesterday. She was far more than an aunt to me. She was my mom, sister, and friend. It took me some time to convince her she was even just my aunt let alone the rest. We would go shopping and the store clerk would ask "is this your daughter" my aunt would respond " no she is my husbands niece" I would say "I am HER niece" Finally we ened up just saying, "close enough" whenever anyone ask if we were mom and daughter.
I remember when my Uncle and her first got together, it was "wrong" for us to like her, because "they were living in sin". You couldn't help but like her let alone love her. Once they "became honest" we were free to like her. (strange how "Christians" rationalize things).
After my own mother died my aunt was one of various women to step up and take her place. She was one of the few of these said women that truly knew my heart. I was allowed to be me the me my mother had helped me to become. I could be a kid, I could be an adult, I could laugh, I could cry, I could be silly I could be wise, I could be me.
I will miss her but like my own mother I know she is in no more pain. She doesn't have to put an a mask, she can run she can jump she can laugh. I know that my mother and her both are up in heaven with so many others looking down on me, saying, "That's my girl."