I became an auntie at 18 years old, and it has become such a joyful part of my life. I remember the day that I met my first nephew, and I will always remember the happiness I felt when holding him for the first time. Fast forward to 2025, and I am now “Auntie Hal” to four. I love getting to be an auntie and to spend time with my two nieces and two nephews. One of my favorite parts of being an auntie is getting to see my nieces and nephews grow up in front of me. It is so exciting to see them experience new things every day and to see them find joy in the everyday. Below, I am going to share a few things that being “Auntie Hal” has taught and reminded me.  

• Find Joy in the Little Things: When I am around my nieces and nephews, I always watch them get excited about the smallest things. Seeing them smile when they see a dog outside or being excited to sit down and read a book together always makes me reflect on how the simple things in life can bring us great joy. Each and every day, we can look around us and smile at the ordinary things we do such as getting to watch a fun movie at night or being able to pet our dog. It is amazing how happy my nieces and nephews are with simple things which makes me realize how I can truly find joy in the everyday. 

• How to Show Unconditional Love: Becoming an auntie has taught me how to show unconditional love to my nieces and nephews by being there for them and wanting the best for them. Being around my two nieces and two nephews now has taught me a love that I had never experienced before. All of them make my heart happy as they give me hugs and want to spend time with me reading books, playing, watching movies, etc. It fills me with gratitude to be able to spend time with my nieces and nephews and tell them how much Auntie Hal loves them.

• Learning to Be More Empathetic: I have also learned to be more empathetic and show my nieces and nephews that I am listening to them and care about how they feel. If my niece or nephew is upset, then I will listen to them and do my best to help them feel better. Giving them a hug and showing them that I am there listening to them helps them to feel better. I believe this is a great reminder for everyday life as sometimes just simply letting someone know that you are there for them by listening to them can really have a positive impact for someone, especially if they are feeling upset.    

• The Importance of Selflessness: Being an auntie means helping to take care of my nieces and nephews when I spend time with them, and this definitely requires putting their needs above my own. I have been humbly reminded of the importance and power of putting others’ needs before my own and willingly helping other people to feel happy and loved. There may be a moment where I want to do something, but then my niece or nephew needs something, so I drop what I am doing to make sure they have what they need. It always makes me feel good to know that I have helped them. 

All of these are important lessons that I have been taught and also learned by being Auntie Hal. I hope that this article will help other aunties to see what a positive difference we can have in the lives of our nieces and nephews while they are growing up. Being an auntie is truly such a special role to have in my life!