Tante Lorette

I was going to blog about a scarf in progress, but quickly realized that I'm not really thinking about knitting, I'm thinking about the recipient of this little scarf I'm making.

Tante Lorette is my father in law's cousin. They share a grandmother, now dearly departed. She is in her early seventies - I know this only because she mentioned her oldest child is 52 years old now (or 53, is it?) so I'm sure she's in her 70s. I just don't have the guts to ask, some things are better left unsaid.

What makes Tante Lorette ageless, at least to me, is her attitude towards life. She amazes me constantly, with what she has accomplished, and with what she still does today. She raised four children, taught grade 2 for 30 years (including my husband's 7 year old mind), buried a husband far too young, lives in a house on her own, traveled to europe and Eygpt in the last few years, and just genuinely amazes me. She babysits the little girls on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Tante Lorette has incredibe energy. She just goes all day and never seems to tire. She's francophone, and speaks French so beautifully and just..correctly...it's a privilege to have her as our girls' first educator. I could tell when she first met Katja, she started thinking to herself, "I can't wait to get my hands on that kid, they think she's smart NOW...wait'll I'm done with her". And she's right. Katja has learned songs, done crafts, learned so many important words and phrases that I sometimes struggle with, and has learned to cooperate so much more (also coincidental somewhat with her just approaching 3 years old, but I know largely it's Tante Lorette's influence).

She's just *grown up* at an incredible pace since I went back to work. I also think some of that is that she really is being educated during the day and that I am also able to relax and give her more attention and to put in the energy she requires to be happy. Katja's not going to just let you come home and read the news, she demands 100% of my attention from the minute I get in the door. Rightly so, I think, and the ability to focus on her is an incredible thing. I think she's a lot lazier when I'm around too, because I just anticipate her needs so well that she isn't doing enough for herself - I'm always a step ahead of her. I think having to articulate her needs during the day to caregivers who maybe don't understand what she's really in need of has really improved her overall demeanour with me.

Anyway, I digress (greatly) with that - what I mean to say is, Tante Lorette amazes me. She has a fabulous, positive attitude. She's the kind of person you just want to have around you. I hope one day if she needs to live in a supported living arrangement of some kind that she would consider living with us. I just adore adore adore her. So do the girls, Katja's face just lights up when she talks about Tante Lorette. She rushes to please Tante Lorette. She misses her mama, but Tante Lorette is probably the most perfect substitute.

So when I knitted up this little scarf, and she watched me knit it, I hoped she noticed that it was a complex little pattern, and that it needed my attention, and that I couldn't really watch TV and knit this properly. So I knit a little here, and knit a little there, and just kept knitting along, and all of a sudden, I'm on the last two rows. I can't wait to give it to her. I have no doubt she will know exactly how special a gift it is, because I spent probably an hour winding yarn, comparing the different weights and colours, taking note of her usual range of colours in her clothes, looking at patterns for each different weight of yarn...it was a labour of love. I hope she enjoys it.