Norlene Reichenbach

Mommy number two… When I was nine months old my family moved to Rexburg, Idaho from Southern California. We moved in with my Aunt Norlene and her family for a short time while my parents looked for a place to live. Norlene tells me that I would get confused, and would call her mommy Norlene. I was a lucky little girl to have two Moms to love and care for me.

I’ve been thinking a lot about aunts, Norlene particularly and their role in a girls life because for the last couple weeks my niece has been texting me and posting on Instagram pictures of us together with some little saying or quotes about how awesome aunts are, and I can not help but think of the aunt that has played the largest role in my life. How have your aunts played a role in your life?

Norlene, is intellectual, unique, and strong. I have had the opportunity to observe and try to emulate these qualities.

Norlene was an elementary school teacher; she is now retired, but she instilled her love of learning. I remember she would give my sister and I her left over worksheets to “play” school with. I never wanted to be the teacher because I wanted to be the one doing the worksheets. As I got older and stopped pretending… so sad… she would let me help her correct worksheets and tests. I loved writing in the red pen and figuring out the right answer and the score. I am one of those strange people that loves going to school and learning. I can not imagine my life without words; and books; and information, and understanding and applying all of them. They are how I make sense of my trials and… triumphs.

Norlene does not apologize for who she is, and she has never asked or expected me to be something I am not. She just loves and accepts me with all of my imperfections and neurosis. To me this is the epitome of an aunt; unconditional love and devotion. 

I did not realize how strong my Aunt Norlene is until this summer when she got an infection from the placement of a pacemaker after a battle with A-phibulation. She nearly died and was in an induced coma, and the doctors did not give much hope the first few days.  But...WHAT A TROOPER! She bounced back and was able make an amazing recovery; truly a miracle.

I also learned recently that not only is Norlene physically strong she also has a remarkable amount of emotional strength. In November, she lost her son. She has had to deal with her grief along with recovering from her few month stint at the hospital and dealing with her husband of 50 years having some health issues as well. She is resilient!

Aunt Norlene, thank you for being "mommy Norlene;" thank you for loving me, through all of my mistakes and challenges, unconditionally; thank you for giving me older sisters, thank you for staying close to my mom so that I could have this amazing extended family experience where we the lines are blurred between cousin and sister, cousin and niece and nephew, cousin and brother, and Aunt and mother; thank you for leaving a fingerprint of the importance of education; thank you for always allowing me to be myself; thank you! I love you to the moon and beyond as my nieces would say!!