Sentence:  Many of the strong connections with aunts exist because this role is more negotiable, flexible, and adaptable than parenting, Sotirin says. And aunts don't necessarily have to be related, either, hence the new verb, <WSD>aunting,</WSD> a set of practices that supports personal, familial and community bonds through material, emotional, and symbolic means. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  The interactions arising from an aunt or aunt-like relationship