Wisdom. Opinions. Experiences. Love. Humor. Inspiration.
By Tina DeSalvo
I am so grateful to the mature women in my life for sharing
these gifts with me have a great time- part
is especially fun to witness.
with words, and with their incredible actions. They sure
know how to nurture friendships, care for their families and have a great time.
Oh yeah, the -
My husband’s mother, who turned eighty this past fall, celebrated
with a two-day birthday party, and then a few more later in the week for those
who couldn’t attend. She and her group of lifelong friends, always amaze people
with that kind of tireless energy and zest for fun. They’ve celebrated each
other’s weddings, anniversaries, children’s births and yes, birthdays. They’ve also
mourned together through illnesses and deaths. Because of this shared history,
it made the thousands of meals, miles and card games they’ve had together, so
much better. And, oh, the stories of those meals, miles and games are wonderful
to hear about and witness. It’s the stuff that inspires my writing, layers my
characters and is incredibly fun to recall. Like the time they were on a cruise
for a “Girls trip” and decided it was more fun to skip going onshore to play
cards in the library. They even solicited a few other passengers to join them.
My mother had this same jouie
de vivre. She was always ready to do. . .have fun. In her nineties she
enjoyed line-dancing, eating snowballs and being with her siblings. She had nine,
but she especially loved spending time with her sisters, Mary and Rose. An
observer might not think that was true. They often argued (sometimes using
fiery Italian words) over childhood memories, each recounting an event
differently than the other. But, then to see their heads resting against the
other’s as they spoke in hushed tones of whatever it was they wanted to share, was
the picture of that pure, special bond they had until their deaths.
There is no
better example or blessed memory I have of this loving connection than when my
mother and Aunt Mary were saying goodbye at the airport. As Aunt Mary sat in
her wheelchair waiting in the check-in line, she and my mother were arguing in
the funny way they always did. Suddenly, Aunt Mary looked up, reached for my
mother, her “baby sister”, and drew her closer. She kissed her cheeks and my
mother returned the kisses. They looked at each other a long time afterwards with
such open emotions of love and sadness, I still cry today thinking about it
these years later. They knew, as I did watching them. . .this would be the last
time they’d be together.
The fierce, adventurous, energetic women who have battled,
defeated, lost and experienced more simply because they lived long enough to do
so, are our world’s treasures. A testament to wisdom, love, endurance and good.
Their lives are love stories – the kind that if we take a moment to notice, teach
us what Happily Ever After is really about.
Tina DeSalvo lives in Louisiana and enjoys writing
women's fiction that touches the heart and makes a difference.
What an beautiful testament to your grandmother. How touching the scene described at the airport. Thank you for sharing this, Tina!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Amanda. I’ve have and had some amazing women teach by action and love in my life!
ReplyDeleteTina you were so blessed with these women plus I love the books that you write! Peggy Clayton ptclayton2@aol.com
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