Ian, Aunt Annie, Uncle Nick and Aunt Theresa. The cousins and I used the acronym JIANT to remember the order, and we'd always sound it out at family reunions and holidays, our aunts and uncles gamely standing up or pointing to themselves when their letter was called."It's a good thing Mom and Dad had their little accident," Mom used to say, cruelly, about her sister Theresa, who came unexpectedly when Mom was 10. "You kids would never remember JIAN."As the years rolled by, family holidays became fewer and fewer. Us kids grew up, had our own schedules and activities that dominated the calendar. But Christmas was always at Grandma's house. Every year, we'd all descend on the ancestral Nelson family home, getting together with our aunts and uncles and cousins to exchange gifts, play games and watch Home Alone movies.One year, I noticed someone was missing."Mom," I asked, when I was about 13. "Where's Aunt Theresa?""Not coming," she said. "The holidays are hard for her, Tommy. It's b
Last Updated : 2025-12-27 Read more