Blessed

Always a giver.

My mom recently told me of some lyrics to a song that went like this: “You’ve been more than a friend to me, you fight off my enemies, and you have spoken the truth over my life. And you’ll never know what it means to me, just to know you’ve been on your knees for me, oh you have blessed my life more than you’ll ever know.” She said that these words describe my aunt Caryn perfectly; I cannot agree more.

Caryn has been such a blessing to all of us. While my siblings and I usually like to pick on her – because she is short (or we are giants, but mostly she is short) – we value her greatly and know her worth. In fact, anytime my aunts or cousins or siblings have anything to say about Caryn, they always mention that. “Tell Caryn that she is such a blessing to us.” “We don’t know what we would do without her.” “Caryn is such an asset to our family.” “She has such a big heart!”

You see, Caryn is one of the most unselfish people I have ever met. She is very giving of her time. If someone is in need, especially a family member, Caryn is always there to help. She is always on hand to help my grandmother and makes daily visits to her in-laws to care for them and keep them company. If anyone is going through a tough time, Caryn is always there with an encouraging word and a smile. And what a great smile it is - full of love and comfort.  

I often like to tell people how close my family is, I take great pride in that because it is so rare anymore. One of the great things about being so close is getting to be a part of the big things in each other’s lives but because our family is so large, it is hard to be present for every big thing that happens. But Caryn is always on it. If you are reading this right now, it is because of Caryn. She takes time EVERY SINGLE DAY to write a story. She never misses a birthday, a graduation, a wedding, an anniversary, a birth, a party; and on the days when there is nothing happening (which are few) she fills us in on the family history. Caryn is such an asset to us because of her passion for the family history and for her writing and dedication.

Not only is Caryn dedicated to being a help and cheerleader to her extended family and friends, but she rarely misses an opportunity to cheer on her grandchildren and children in any of their life events. They often have breakfast on Saturdays, she walks daily and takes trips with my uncle Bob, travels to sporting events - she is SO busy and these are only a few of the wonderful things she does to show her love.

There are so many fantastic things about my aunt that words cannot describe. We all have the pleasure of knowing Caryn, some of us years longer than others and some of us for a short time, but no matter how long we have each known her, we can all agree on this: Caryn is a loyal friend and when you have her on your side she will fight for you no matter what. Not just here in the natural realm, but also she will pray for you and stand with you Spiritually through thick and thin.  She is the voice of reason and God uses her frequently to be a go between and an intercessor.

Sometimes life happens and we need a friend, a confidant, a hug, and just a little bit of encouragement or help and Caryn has always been there for those things. We hope to be that person in return for Caryn today and always. Today is Caryn’s birthday. I hope it is the happiest one she has had yet and know that blessings will abound for her this year!!