My great aunt helped raise me. She was a teacher, and when I became a teacher in my 40s, our shared experiences deepened our bond.

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The author and her aunt on the couch when she was young.

From early childhood, I was close to my Great Aunt Joanne. The youngest of my great-grandmother's five children, she was born long after her siblings, making her closer in age to my mother than her own sister. She became an aunt at just two months old when her eldest sister gave birth, which set the stage for her lifelong role as a nurturer.

When my mother moved to California, leaving us in Boston, Joanne — whom I call Auntie — stepped in, becoming like a surrogate mom to my brother and me. Along with my grandparents and other relatives, she helped raise us in our parents' absence.

Though she helped raise us, she was also the 'cool aunt'

Auntie handled essentials like dentist and doctor appointments when my grandmother worked. As an elementary school teacher, her flexible schedule allowed her to take care of us when others couldn't.

She was also fun, taking us to movies or to buy an amazing birthday gift. Spending the night at Auntie's was a regular, but still special, occurrence throughout my childhood. We'd pop Jiffy Pop popcorn and watch Lifetime movies. Before I was born, back in the late 1960s, Auntie was the first in her family to go to college and then graduate school. In her 20s, she had traveled around Europe, which made her even more interesting. She had done things. She had been places.

Auntie was a local teacher who seemed like a celebrity

A lifelong teacher, Auntie would sometimes take me to school with her, where I witnessed firsthand the affection her students had for her and her calm, patient teaching style. In the evenings, I'd help her grade papers — each one receiving a smiley face from her signature red pen.

Auntie started teaching right after college and made a difference. In our city, someone almost always recognized her — a former student or parent. They all adored her. It was like traveling with a local celebrity.

Like my aunt, I also went to college and later to graduate school. However, while Auntie always knew teaching was her path, I spent years searching for mine, earning degrees in English and television/video production before moving into corporate roles and starting my own family.

The author with her Auntie Joanne and her Uncle Bob.

"Geez, Nicole," she'd say, "you should have been a teacher." With four kids, my schedule wasn't a great fit for my 9-to-5. Auntie often pointed out that if I taught, I'd get out early. I'd have summers off. Sure, I played school with my friends as a kid, sometimes borrowing Auntie's school supplies, but I didn't want to teach. I thought I was going to do something great — a job where I'd make a lot of money. How things change.

Following in Aunt Joanne's footsteps

In my 40s, inspired by my children's journeys through elementary school, I decided to return to school to become a teacher. My aunt, then in her late 60s, had recently retired after 40 years but continued teaching part-time, first in literacy and then in English as a second language.

Auntie remained not just a beloved relative but also a mentor. While I was in school, her encouragement and our frequent conversations about curriculum and teaching challenges brought us even closer. She understood exactly what I was going through and was always ready with thoughtful advice.

As I pursue more opportunities in education by taking extra classes to earn a postgraduate certificate to become an Assistant Principal, Auntie continues to support me. We also share the same last name, coincidentally. We are both Mrs. Johnson. She married a Robert. I married a Craig. When she passes things along from her own days of teaching, I don't even have to change the name on them.

I'm lucky to have such an amazing shared experience with her. She taught me that what makes a person great isn't the amount of money they make, but the impact they have on other people.