"There is little chance for a meaningful recovery." That's what the doctor told my family about my Aunt Mary. She had a massive stroke.Her eyes were fixed and dilated. The family kept her on the ventilator until I arrived from Utah. We said our goodbyes. We prayed. We allowed her physical body to depart and we were confident that her soul had already begun its journey. Instead of dwelling on Mary's departure, I would like to share something about the way she lived.
She was a career woman in a time when very few chose that path. She worked for the high speed advertising firm, J.Walter Thompson in New York City. It was a glamorous business and the firm decorated the offices of their movers and shakers. Aunt Mary was a facilities manager. She coordinated the purchase and placement of draperies, artwork and furnishings. She had gone to school for business but was blessed with an innate sense of color and composition.
She was always interested in people. Mary would tell us stories about how people dressed and what they did. I remember her telling me the details of an Indian wedding that she attended. I was fascinated. On the surface, she appeared to be an insulated woman, but she was actually quite well traveled and cosmopolitan. She took her nieces and nephews on eye opening trips abroad. But it is her understanding of connection that impacted me the most.
When I was small, she lived in New York and we lived in Georgia. We would alternate visits. In between she sent cards for every occasion. I remember colorful cards loaded with a dollar's worth of dimes. People love to be remembered and children even more so. She was generous with her possessions but even more so with her heart. I bless her for teaching me what it takes to be a good aunt and good soul. Heart connections are the most important thing we make in this life and the only things we carry with us when we leave. Blessings on the journey Aunt Mary. You made a difference.
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| God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5) |
She was a career woman in a time when very few chose that path. She worked for the high speed advertising firm, J.Walter Thompson in New York City. It was a glamorous business and the firm decorated the offices of their movers and shakers. Aunt Mary was a facilities manager. She coordinated the purchase and placement of draperies, artwork and furnishings. She had gone to school for business but was blessed with an innate sense of color and composition.
She was always interested in people. Mary would tell us stories about how people dressed and what they did. I remember her telling me the details of an Indian wedding that she attended. I was fascinated. On the surface, she appeared to be an insulated woman, but she was actually quite well traveled and cosmopolitan. She took her nieces and nephews on eye opening trips abroad. But it is her understanding of connection that impacted me the most.
When I was small, she lived in New York and we lived in Georgia. We would alternate visits. In between she sent cards for every occasion. I remember colorful cards loaded with a dollar's worth of dimes. People love to be remembered and children even more so. She was generous with her possessions but even more so with her heart. I bless her for teaching me what it takes to be a good aunt and good soul. Heart connections are the most important thing we make in this life and the only things we carry with us when we leave. Blessings on the journey Aunt Mary. You made a difference.
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