Thank God for Aunts and Uncles

They don't wear capes, but they sure can fly in a beat-up

truck or a minivan ride. With a wink and a hug and a pie

in the back. They show up just when the world goes slack. They taught me

how to bait a hook and how to read between the lines of a

look. They knew when to laugh, when to hush, when to pray.

Thank God for the ones who stayed. Thank God for aunts and uncles

with their stories and their grace. For the ones who held the flashlight

while we fixed our broken faith. For the birthday cards with five-dollar bills