Cousin Selma

My mother's cousin, Selma, was my favorite relative. A life-long New Yorker, Selma could tell you about most anything in The City. She was a businesswoman before there were such things. Selma was quick to laugh, loved museums and theatre, visiting her many friends and a good Bloody Mary at cocktail hour. She didn't like the subway, preferring to walk or ride the bus so she could see where she was. She lived in Manhattan on the 26th floor of a big apartment building where we would sit on the balcony and chat, her telling me stories about the people and the buildings. Selma died in November 2007 at the age of 93, an incredibly lively and intelligent woman to the end. I recently received a box of the pictures that were in her apartment - for some reason I was the only one who wanted them. The above treasure is Selma as a baby (I'm guessing from 1916 or so). Although I only knew her as an older woman, I recognized the expression and gesture of my favorite cousin immediately.