It's been ten years since my Aunt Linda passed away and I'm feeling bittersweet. I think she'd be really happy to see how we turned out. She used to say to me and Francine, "I just love my nieces to pieces!"

Every year for our birthdays and for Valentine's Day, we'd get the most elaborate, homemade, personalized cards made with puffy paint and colourful hearts. She knew exactly how to make us feel special for our big milestone days.

She was born on Remembrance Day and her favourite day was Valentine's because she loved hearts.

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I know I'll always be learning my life's lessons, but in the last ten years since you've been gone, I've taken some pretty big steps in figuring out some of the big ones: how to be my own best friend, how to appreciate failure as a normal part of my ongoing development and not take it (or everything else) so personally, how to be there for myself and probably the biggest one of all - how to love myself and treat myself with kindness and compassion. I know you're proud of me. I am too. More relieved than proud, though

I know two people who have won the scholarship in your name at York University. You'd be so embarrassed to know how honoured these people were to win that prize because they knew how treasured you were and still are.

Life is good, Auntie Lin You are missed and loved and cherished every day.