Mildred is my father‘s aunt, but we all call her aunt Mildred. Once, I called her great aunt, my mother took me aside and slapped me a few times. Never call her that. Years later, after Mildred died my parents retired to her house out in the country, I never took my kids out to see them. When my mother would call and ask when we were going out there, I’d say maybe next weekend. When she’d ask to talk to them on the phone, I’d say they were asleep or at school, which hit her hard as any slap.