My "oldest" friend

 Here's a riddle:  Who is the youngest AND also the oldest?

She was born in 1937, the youngest of the six children of Iva Pauline Mercer and Ellie Wallace Nesmith.

I recently learned that Pauline's mother was not happy that another baby was going to be born to her youngest daughter. In fact, Pauline had made an effort to hide the pregnancy from her mother. Marianna Mercer's attitude changed, however, when she learned that the little girl shared her middle name.

Pauline Elizabeth Nesmith was born on June 14, 1937. My mother was 14 years old.

I don't remember life without her. Aunt Beth is ten years older than I am, and I would say she is my oldest friend.

So there's my answer to the riddle.

My first memory of her is my third birthday. I remember we played a game, and I recall her skirt twirling as we moved in a circle. I can almost hear the "swoosh," and I know there is a photo of those moments.

I think my mother gave her a surprise "sweet sixteen" birthday party. I remember one thing from that event: I was surprised to find it still for sale on Amazon, but I checked too late to get it to her this year.

Just four short years after that birthday, Aunt Beth married Uncle Bill, and thus began the rest of our lives living many miles apart. And yet we have remained very good friends.

I believe it was Aunt Beth's idea for the five Nesmith sisters to write a book about their lives. Later, Aunt Carolyn's granddaughter, Lucy, did a documentary about their stories. And at some point, one of the sisters decided that they should create an album in which each could share what her sisters had meant in her life - and they gathered stories about their brother, Rudolph, who was killed in World War II.

Aunt Beth loves to meet a friend for a visit. We have enjoyed many fun and sometimes deep conversations over a cup.

We were together a few weeks ago when she asked if I had given any more thought to writing a book about what to expect as we age. My mother had written something about how it felt to be the recipient of care. Sometime ago, I commented about being hers and Aunt Ann's "caregiver." She was not impressed with my choice of words until I said, "All it means is giving care to someone I care about."

So I've been working on a book about adjusting to being the person who is cared for. This is not a special birthday for Aunt Beth, unless we note that it marks the beginning of her being a nano generational.  Those are not well=known words.  She has one ore year as an octogenarian - which I'll be headed to when I have my 79th birthday next month. 

 And as always, I'm going to depend on her to help me know "how to act", "what to expect from others," and how to react!

She's always been more like a sister (to me and my cousin, Ellie),  and I doubt she likes to hear that she is anyone's oldest anything! However , "Happy Birthday to the youngest Nesmith daughter who is also my oldest friend."

                                      May you have enough sunshine in your life 

                                            to help you appreciate the shadows