My memories of my Aunt Peggy are from more than forty years ago. And yet, I think of her quite often. If I had to describe my Aunt Peggy in one word, that word would be ELEGANT. She was a beautiful woman, always impeccably dressed and coiffed. I recall many happy times when we would stay with Aunt Peg and Uncle Felix, Wyatt and our beloved Tracy. There were the nights staying up watching Shock Theater, catching tarantulas in the ravine behind their first house, playing in the ?spook house?. When they moved to Morningside Drive, I remember almost drowning my brother in their pool (and then he almost drowning me). I remember Sweet Tracy ? his courage and cheerfulness in the face of his polio. The brace he had to wear; his smile even when he was strapped in the iron lung; and his short, eighteen year life. Through it all, I never saw Aunt Peg sad or not composed. She gave off a calm and grace that you had to admire. After her divorce from my Uncle Felix, I never saw her again. And yet there is one memory that I will always cherish of her. It was at my Uncle Bill and Mary Jane?s house. We were all sitting around their breakfast room table, reminiscing as families will. We began talking about Mary Jane?s and Felix?s song and dance career when they were kids. Felix mentioned that Peggy was quite a musician in her own right ? an accordionist! He went back to their house and came back with this beautiful accordion. Peggy began playing and entertained us for almost an hour. As she played, she would make funny faces at key points in the songs. We were laughing and singing and asking for encore after encore. One of the happiest moments in my life, thanks to my Aunt Peg. To this day, every time I hear accordion music, I think of Peggy. And I probably will until I die. You see, accordion music – conjunto, zydeco and polka ? are some of my favorite music genres. I think, maybe, because it reminds me of happy times, together with my family. And my lovely, elegant Aunt Peggy.
