The Joy of Being an Aunt/Uncle
Eight singles share the blessings of nieces and nephews
December 17, 2003

Choosing Life
I was blessed with the opportunity to be instrumental in saving my nephew's life. I was 26 years old and my younger sister was only 22 when she became pregnant. She wasn't married and wasn't a Christian. Most of her friends and many of our unsaved family members told her to get an abortion. Of course I knew God wanted me to do all that I could to talk her out of it. I helped her make pro and con lists about this decision to help show her that she and the baby would be OK.

I told her I'd help her raise her child and that of course God would be there for her and the baby. She was very confused and eventually gave into pressure from her non-Christian friends and made an appointment for an abortion. The night before her appointment I called her to plead with her one more time not to go through with it. She was crying and very torn about what to do. I continued to reassure her I'd be there to help her all the way and that God had a purpose for her baby and loved them both. I hung up and called my brother, a fellow believer, and asked him to call her and to pray for her. Thankfully he did call, and the next day I discovered that my sister didn't go through with the abortion. I was going to be an aunt!

I was so excited when she gave birth to my nephew, Daniel. I stuck to my promise to help my sister all the way, and because of her late work hours as a bartender and her party lifestyle, I basically took over as Daniel's second mom. My sister married when he was two and her husband adopted Daniel. Neither of them are Christians, but thankfully they let me take him to church, which I did from the time he was a toddler until he graduated from high school. I continued to take care of him because my sister became an alcoholic. But throughout this time Daniel and I developed a strong bond, and I was able to share my faith with him. He's been like a son to me.

Daniel is now 21 and a grounded Christian. He's a singer in Christian ska band and is also the youth minister at his church. He's had his share of tough times, but through it all has grown into a wonderful godly young man. It's been a blessing and a true joy to be his aunt and to watch him continue to grow in the Lord!

Aunt Virginia

Honorary Aunt
Though I don't have any brothers or sisters, I do have a close friend who's christened me "auntie" for her two-year-old son. I've learned that the joy of being an auntie is the unconditional love you give and receive from such innocent "little people." This summer we went swimming almost every weekend and he only wanted to hold on to me, not Mommy. One day while holding onto each other, I gave his cool little cheek a big kiss and was overcome with a love so deep I'd never felt before. I finally understood what it means to love someone so much that you'd lay down your life for him. That gave me a whole new understanding of why Jesus gave his life for all of his children.

Aunt Lindi

The Good, the Bad, and the Priceless
For me, the joy of being an uncle is getting to spend time with my siblings' children—all 15 of them. It stretches me when it comes to birthdays, but it's all fun for me. It's like having a child but not having one. When they're well behaved it's fun, and when they start misbehaving I give them back to their parents. The well-behaved moments make me wish I could settle down and start a family of my own; the other times make me thankful I'm single. Being around my nieces and nephews reminds me that children are a huge responsibility. But few things beat seeing my nieces' faces light up when I show up at my brother's house. Priceless.

Uncle Helkias

Aunt Day
I have a niece and two nephews that have been a real blessing to me. Aside from all the family things we do together, I try and designate at least one day a month as an Aunt Day. I spend that day with one of the kids doing whatever they want to do. Whether it's going to a movie, ice-skating or just window-shopping, we always have a good time. As a result, I've got a really special relationship with each of them. They look forward to our time together, and I'm always blessed by the experience. It doesn't take much time or money and I feel we've developed valuable relationships that will only get better as we get older.

Being single it's easy for my life to become self-centered. By committing this time to them I am reminded how important and rewarding it is to invest time in my relationships with others. I don't know what I'd do without them in my life.

Aunt Donna

Cool Aunt Nat
The neatest thing about being an aunt is that my nieces (and possibly my nephew) think I'm cool! They couldn't be more wrong, but hey, I'm gonna ride this one while I can!

We went to get our Christmas trees this weekend at a tree farm about 45 minutes away. I always ride in my sister's car for this excursion and her youngest daughter will go so far as to disobey her mom in order to get to sit next to me. Talk about feeling loved!

The most fun thing I do with my nieces is have them over for sleepovers. We rent horse movies, eat junk food, play spoons (card game), and sleep in sleeping bags on my living room floor. I have just as much fun as they do, although I need a nap when they go home!

Aunt Natalie

Life Lessons
I've counted it a blessing to be an uncle to my niece and two nephews. I love them more than I thought I ever would. It brightens my day to hear them call out my name and see them come running to me. I have learned so much from them.

I've learned that a child can have more fun out of a $1 foam rocket from the dollar store than a flashy $40 toy. I can't count the hours we've run around the house with those foam rockets, while more expensive toys have collected dust in the corner.

The second thing I've learned from being a uncle is that kids just want someone to spend time with them. They'll love you if you just play a game of tag or hide-and-seek with them.

Uncle Donald

A Special Purpose
Being Auntie has given me opportunity to find purpose in my family. Although I'm not married with children, I feel as though I'm wanted, needed, and important when I spend time with my sister's five daughters. Thanks to them I don't feel lonely on family camping trips and at holidays.

Just as a parent has a special bond with each child, I too have a unique relationship with each of my nieces. Moriah and I share the same brain and finish each other's sentences. Ephesia helps me with fashion and always makes me laugh. Taja will sneak out of the house with me to get ice cream without her sisters knowing. Makaelah always helps me when I ask. And Ruby, the baby, looks as though she's my daughter.

I am the person they call when they want to earn money, go swimming, or need something on their bike fixed. It's not that their parents wouldn't do these things, it's just that these things are part of my role as their auntie.

When I'm wrapped up in my singleness, I can count on one of them to bring me back to what's really important—I have a place in our family. More important than all the experiences I have with these girls is the fact that they teach me as much about God through their love, respect, and faithfulness, as I could ever teach them.

Auntie Amanda

Leaving a Legacy
I love being an aunt to four wonderful nieces and two great nephews. It's been such an enriching experience. As a never-married 39 year old with no marriage prospects in my life, I may never have kids. But as an aunt, I've been able to experience motherhood in some ways. I've gone to dance recitals, Christmas pageants, kindergarten graduations, etc. And I've even experienced some of the not-so-good stuff of parenting. As one of the chief babysitters for my nieces and nephews, I've changed diapers, mediated sibling disputes, and so on.

But the bottom line is even though I don't have kids, and likely won't, my nieces and nephews are my link to posterity. Some of them share genes with me �?so I feel as though some part of me will live on physically after I'm gone.

Aunt Elaine