A Visit From My Aunt Sue.
The last time I saw my Aunt Sue in person was back in 2017, during my Occidental College graduation ceremony in Eagle Rock. She was so excited to be attending. During the ceremony, it was so sunny that she even bought herself a new hat from the bookstore, emblazoned with the OCCIDENTAL logo. She still has it to this day.
Sue Milner is my aunt on my mother’s side. She lives happily in Citrus Heights, California, in close proximity to her son and daughter in law, and their two boys. Sue is proudly vegan, and perpetually advocates for the well-being of animals. She was such a strong and positive influence on me that one key reason why I myself became vegan is because of her. She inspires me each and every day with her dedication to animal rights.
Sue has a very cute and loyal dog named Indie, age 4. Initially, I was a bit apprehensive about Indie coming along, because I was not sure how well she would get along with our new puppy, Maizy. However, this ended up not really being an issue. During her visit, I discovered that Sue bends over backward to take care of Indie. She personally peels and prepares sweet potatoes for Indie to eat. She even has a special dog seat belt, in the back of her Subaru, that is designed to keep Indie safe while the two of them are in transit. Indie loves her owner, and I cannot help but feel that Sue is a model pet owner, who always puts the needs of animals before her own.
For those of you who do not know, Aunt Sue and I FaceTime each other every single Sunday. I always look forward to our phone calls. Oftentimes, when we contact each other, I am hanging out with my friend Anthony in downtown Ventura. I have FaceTimed her from a quaint little park by the Clock Tower Inn, and I have even chatted to her at a local bus stop, where Anthony used to get a ride back to his home in Oak View. It was one thing to FaceTime Sue from these locations, and another to have her visit these incredibly special sites in person. Once we got downtown, the first thing out of her mouth was: “Where is the bus stop where you always wait with Anthony?” I was incredibly touched by how much she cares about me and Anthony, and overjoyed to see how much she liked experiencing Ventura in person.
The day Aunt Sue arrived, I was scheduled to go to Paddy’s Bar with Anthony—so I thought, why not invite her and my mom to accompany us? To my surprise and delight, they both said yes. This was their first time at the bar. All afternoon, I was so excited to show my family a piece of my life that they, up till that point, had not directly experienced. The evening ended up being incredibly special. As we were sitting at the bar with Anthony, Sue bought me a Sprite, and I could tell that Anthony was incredibly overjoyed at seeing my family visit his special place. At Paddy’s, he knows virtually everyone, and they know him. To conclude, I had the time of my life that evening—and I loved the fact that I could both show off Paddy’s to my family, and show off my family to Paddy’s. It was like two disparate parts of my life intersecting, and eventually becoming one.
I truly feel that my unique weekend with my parents, Anthony, and Aunt Sue ended up defying all my previous expectations. Every moment I spent with friends and family was a moment treasured. I also ended up discovering something that I secretly already knew, which is that Sue loves to engage in fun, captivating, and new activities with her family, friends, and animals. She is always so positive, and always such a joy to be around. She is so pleasant that I am greatly looking forward to both our phone call this coming Sunday, and the next time she decides to travel back down to Southern California to visit us in person. I just wish to end this post by formally saying that I am incredibly fortunate in life to be surrounded by such exceptionally loving and caring people in the way that I am. My loved ones are everything to me, and I know that I am everything to them. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Me with family and friends at Paddy’s.