This is a photo of my mom and her big sister Jan in Massapequa, New York. My Aunt Jan was a remarkable woman who recently passed away at the age of 75 after fighting a long, hard, six-year battle with cancer. She was a private, self-reliant woman who found it difficult to let people help her and she refused to let any of us come take care of her.

The week after she passed, my mom, her cousin and I had the daunting task of cleaning her home and settling her estate. Despite the sad circumstances, we took solace in looking through her treasure trove of photos. We unearthed proof of a life well-lived; the life of an adventurer, a real-life cowgirl, who owned and operated a 90-acre ranch in Vermont with the love of her life. She was devastated when the relationship ended, but she left the snow and moved to sunny Gulfport, Florida in 1989, where she found a large community of lesbians, found renewed love, and was truly happy. ~shared by @krisbernard