I had two favourite Aunties as a child.
Midge and Ruby.
Aunty Midge was wonderful. Never Married, lived in a beautiful Australian Cottage style 1940’s era House.
Garden full of colourful flowers. Always cooking something.
I visited often because she was a kind, gentle lady always helping people.
She seemed happy enough with her Spinster life.
Aunty Ruby was one of those people who was a part of almost every Women’s Club, Guild, Charity, Church and Committee in my small home town.
Her whole life was devoted to giving of herself to those less fortunate.
My father received an OAM (Oder of Australia Medal) from the Queen for services to the community and the Trade Unions.
Aunty Ruby was offered the same Award but she did not accept the offer.
Ruby wanted to remain in the background, quietly getting on with business.
Most certainly.She was a Rev and had three churches and a youth club.I stayed with her when I was between residences.She also had foreign exchange students stay some of the time,usually girls.Which it made it nicer.
I had one Aunt, my Dad’s sister, who was also my godmother. I never really got on with her, I think she preferred my sister! I also had two Great Aunts, my Grandmother’s sisters. I used to stay with my Great Aunt Ada during school holidays - I loved staying there. She taught me how to cook and my Great Uncle taught me how to make wine from fruit from the hedgerows.
I’m from a very small family. Dad was an only child, Mom had one younger sister.
She was my favorite aunt, felt more like my mom or sister all of my life. I would have chosen her if I had a dozen to choose from.
Yes. A very large Lady in her 80’s. In a wheelchair.
As a teenager, helping her move around. She always said.
“Thank you young man, nice Bum”. As she patted my Derrière. Would you move me over there. Again!!
She must have been well before her time. When Mobile. All the way to a Disability parking area.
Yes, Uncle Red, never did learn his real name. He took all the photo’s of my Parents & me as a child, he had a photographic studio & did all his own developing too.
My great Uncle Johnny owned a farm and taught me how to fish in his pond and would let me drive around his farm on his tractor banging and weaving the thing around…over hills, through crops (including the corn ) laughing all the while. He was one of those people who loved kids and had the everyone-quit-working-they-will-be-just-fine sort of attitude about us. A soldier who had served in the trenches, he came back to start his own business, and was salt-of-the earth type.
Then I had my great-aunts that I think of as a group, since they were inseperable, who were boisterous, funny, and stylish (purse-must-match-the-shoes). They wore sparkly brooches and earrings, and my sister and I admired them so. My favorite memory was walking in on them and my grandmother when they had all decided to try to make banana daiquiris for the first time, and they had overdone the alcohol content. The ensuring comedy still plays in my mind.
I remember my Auntie Mary, long since passed of course.
She had red hair , piercing grey green eyes and plenty of attitude, I think she was renowned for her flapper type dance moves in Bermondsey back in the day.
She’d always delve into her purse and find some coin as a little treat for me…
I had some aunts and uncles when I was a kid, not sure how many, but because my relatives were always hostile to each other for various reasons, I never got to meet them. I don’t think I missed much.
Sadly all my aunties have passed on. My favourite was my mother’s sister in law. We did loads of things together including a memorable holiday in Roumania and one in Ibiza when it was a gentle place, not rowdy as it is now.
I only ever knew one grandparent. She lived in a tiny bungalow with gorgeous red roses in the front garden. She had a budgerigar called Bimbo and a huge tabby cat called Kittypuss. She lived until she was 93.
All the way to a Disability parking area. 
) laughing all the while. He was one of those people who loved kids and had the everyone-quit-working-they-will-be-just-fine sort of attitude about us. A soldier who had served in the trenches, he came back to start his own business, and was salt-of-the earth type.