Cherie Speller: Sisters together again in same area after more than 40 years

In making plans recently to attend an annual luncheon sponsored by a seniors' group, my mom told me she intended to invite her sister, my aunt, as one of her two guests.

That sounds like a routine thing — a woman inviting her sister to attend an event with her. But, for my mom and aunt, it will be the beginning of something special.

It's been more than 40 years since my mom and her sister have lived in the same town, or even the same state. But that's changing in November as my aunt and uncle relocate from upstate New York to their new home in North Carolina.

They'll be about a 30-minute drive from Greensboro, where my mother — and their brother — live.

The last time the sisters were in the same town was when my aunt was in college in Greensboro at N.C. A&T State University.

Older than my aunt, my mother already had completed her degree and was working.

My aunt lived with my mom, dad and me while she was in school to ease the cost of college.

It also was a good arrangement for my parents, who could use the extra hands as a young working couple with their first child.

As my occasional baby sitter, my mom said my aunt was the one who taught me not to pinch others. After pinching her hard enough to bring tears to her eyes, she pinched me back. I haven't been much of a pincher since.

While my parents made their home in Greensboro, my aunt and uncle have lived in several places over the years.

My uncle retired as a major in the U.S. Air Force, but not before they lived in California, Mississippi, the Netherlands (when he was stationed in Germany) and New York state.

Distance made visits infrequent so it was especially exciting when my aunt and her family, including four children, came to Greensboro, which also is where my grandmother lived in her later years.

And, my mom was able to visit with them in the Netherlands as part of a trip to Europe.

Photos from their reunion there still prove what a great time they had together.

As a family, we also took trips to visit with them in Utica — always in the summer to dodge any potential snow.

I know the long, snowy upstate New York winters get part of the credit for my aunt and uncle's move south.

But being close enough to accept a lunch invitation from your sister leads the way home.

Cherie Speller is associate editor for readership and community news. Contact her at (252) 329-9512 or cspeller@reflector.com.