Question for
December
Why is this happening
now? I knew it might happen one day, but not today. We
planned what we would do. Why did we get derailed?
That’s not fair. Our plans= is useless
now.
Life, death… what
happens next to those left behind? We know we will leave
or we know that some of those we love will leave…but
that having been said – Why? Why? Why!
This Essential Wisdom
story tells what happened next when the worst happened.
It is an inspiring story. If we haven’t already,
each of us, will face a story just like this one…
sometime.
One Last
Time
She caught my
attention, when, as I sat across the aisle from her. We
both heard the captain announce that on this trip we
could choose to fly via U.S airspace or Canadian
airspace. Without missing a beat, she called the
stewardess over and without a trace of a smile, asked
whether, if we chose US airspace and the plane went down,
would our medical coverage still apply? To me, someone
with that kind of imagination and quick wit must have a
lot to say…and she did.
Her
Story
Her parents left
Russia and brought she and her six siblings to Canada.
She was three years of age. As a young woman she married
a God fearing man and together they settled into a hard
life of farming and parenting five children, ‘which
we did very successfully I might add’. This lady had
pluck and she took great pride that the family values and
faith were in tact after all these years, including those
of her 13 Grandchildren. She told how twenty years
before, she and her husband built a beautiful retirement
home and sadly five months later he was dead.
She had never been
alone her whole life and now she said ‘I sat alone
day in and day out, lost weight and could hardly catch my
breath.’ When she did go out, she never wanted to go
home to her empty home – she just wanted to
die…but she didn’t, she couldn’t, so she
chose the unthinkable – she chose to
live.
Today at 82 she does
all her own housekeeping, yard work, rents out her
acreage, bakes up a storm, gardens and of course takes up
an active role in her church. She doesn’t like
ATM’s at all and has no use for computers…
although she did add that through her children, she could
have access to the computer if she wanted. We exchanged
phone numbers (hers) and email addresses (mine). Having a
little fun, I said I’d phone her if she emailed me
first. You know my guess is she I’ll hear from
her…it certainly would be consistent with how she
does life.
And the Essential
Wisdom is that this woman did not learn how to survive
and thrive the day her husband passed away. She would
have been building those skills year in and year out
…the work of a lifetime. When she was left alone,
she hit bottom. But time had taught her to kick off from
the bottom and go for the sunlight. That’s where
there is air that lets you breathe new life. And that is
what she did. It was a privilege to meet a fellow
traveler...that I should have such courage!
As you consider
this story, what questions come to your mind? Share them
with Judee by emailing her
at hope@worldofwork.com.
For
information about her books, her “Wisdom to Make
Your Life Work” addresses, and Meaningful
Conversations workshops visit her
website,
www.worldofwork.com
