A Very Special Valentines For Nicky

My thoughts are with my cousin today...Nicky who died so many years ago on this day...Such a sweet little girl...She called me Aunt Joycie even though I was her cousin...their was so much age difference...she felt I was her Aunt...She had a brain tumor they found when she was 4...they said she wouldn't live long...she live another year...A hard year for her...but she was always happy...Her and her parents lived with me off and on that year because she had to go to St. Jude so much... and I didn't live far from it...I remember her after her treatments...she was bald...she had the most beautiful long hair before that...I remember so many things she would tell me...She would say Aunt Joycie when I die and go to heaven with Jesus...I'm gonna get my piggy tails back...and she seemed so happy about that....she would put her hands up next to her head and wiggle her hands like she had her pigtails in her hand...it was so sweet....I stayed with her at night and my youngest sister stayed with her in the day time a lot...Her dad drove a truck and had to work....Her mother had 3 other children and felt they needed her more....The doctors told me this was her way of dealing with Nicky's death...She didn't want to be too close to her when she died....They said they saw that a lot...I really didn't understand it but we dealt with it...So I stayed as much as I could with her at night and Julie would all day until I got off work....Her mother would come on weekends...Her dad came every time he was off the road...It was a hard time...But I will never forget her...She loved for me to rock her and sing to her...As bad as I sing she loved it...bless her heart...She would tell me Aunt Joycie I love you and I always will...and I believe her love was so pure and true..She never wanted me to leave her...and I hated it when I had to...but I had to work and I had a child and husband at home...But I must say he dealt with is so well..I will never forget that Sunday when I had to leave....she didn't want me too...but I had to work the next morning.....The next morning of Feb.14, 1982...My little Nicky died...5 years old and she was gone...It broke my heart...all of us were heart broken...I wasn't there when she died and that really bothered me...I got the call at work....I nearly died myself...I loved her so much...My uncle said after I left Sunday night she quit talking...and in the early morning of Valentines Day she died...

I want to wish Nicky... a Very Special Valentines Day...She sours the heaven with mom now...Mom always loved her so much....

JoyceWilbanksIvy02-14-05