Ms. Margaret A Opp

Some of the best memories of my childhood come from Aunt Margaret, Uncle Reiny, and my Opp "sisters." Whether it was Thanksgiving dinner or a week or two at the old farm west of Hazelton, this city kid never felt more safe or accepted, basking in the warmth and humor of life with the Opps. Since I was the youngest of the Austin boys, the girls seemed to gravitate around me, keeping my brothers at a safe distance and laughing at the goofy things I would say (boys were a unique phenomenon on the farm). Reiney was the gentle giant who ran the farm, a man with a large rolling voice that never instilled fear in a shy 6-year-old boy, and whose humor and 8mm home movies, flickering on the white living room wall, I found fascinating. But Aunt Margaret was the center of it all; she who could calmly soothe any bump, start and finish the day with the best baking imaginable, and know exactly how many peaches a small stomach could handle (eaten while swinging in the hammock outside the kitchen door). My daily life of stress was pleasantly punctuated by this family, particularly by that of my wise and loving aunt, just when I needed it the most. I can count the number of times this family came into my life on my fingers and toes (with some digits left over), but their impact keeps them forever in my thoughts. A better role model I've never found.

-Brian Austin, Mandan, ND