Growing up, Aunt Dell (my great aunt) was the kind of person you knew would be dressed to the nines, always on the go, and radiating the most optimistic outlook on life. She had countless stories about her adventures and mementos from the many places she traveled.

Aunt Dell’s stories made her seem fearless. She explored the world, held fascinating jobs, and ultimately found true love with my great-uncle — her childhood sweetheart.

What I admire most about her, I didn’t learn until after her death. Aunt Dell had taken a painful chapter of her life — an abusive first marriage — and changed her personal narrative. She chose to reframe that hurt, shaping a life rooted in hope, style, and joy.