The School Play

I went to my first ever school play last week... One of my nephews was rapping in his class end of term production and when I'd asked if aunties could come too, he said we could. So I joined his mum in one of the front rows, and grinned like an idiot, taking photos of my nephew as he starred in the show, so proud.

There was a brief moment, when I started to wonder what it would have been like to watch the class production of my own child, and had to hold it together. But I succeeded in not embarrassing my nephew in front of his class! What an achievement for both of us!! Although, he probably would have just rolled his eyes at me if I had started crying!

It was quite nice having him look out for me when I first arrived and took my place, I know children have a sense of security when they seek out familiar faces in the crowd, and it was good to make him smile when he was sitting waiting for his turn. After his rap, when I gave him two big thumbs up, he grinned like the Cheshire Cat!

As his mum had to leave early, and I was on nephew duty after the show til she finished her meeting, I did what I said I would always do for my own child, and treated the super-star nephew and his older brother to some kind of sickly dessert as a "well done" for a great show.

Not having my own Bubba, I reflected the next morning on how precious the opportunity to be an aunty was that previous night. It's only in the last five years or so, since I moved closed to my brother and his family, that I have been able to have more of a role in their lives, and not being a Mumma of my own child, I really relish these small opportunities. Last year, now that the boys ar old enough, I started to take them out on Aunty Date Nights, sometimes one on one, sometimes both together. I want to establish a good relationship with them while I can, so that if ever they need to turn to Aunty Stephy for advice, they know that they can always find me. 

I may not be a Mumma, but I am a very proud Aunty.