Life is what happens while you are busy making plans…

This week I experienced an event I was not prepared for. While I was busy scheduling my work week, life decided it had other plans for me. Early Monday morning my beloved great-aunt Eleanor died in her sleep. She was 90 years young and was recuperating at home after a brief stay in the hospital.

What makes this so significant is that Aunt Eleanor and My grandmother, Grace are the last of five sisters. My grandmother is now the last living member of her immediate family. Eleanor’s husband Uncle Stanley and Uncle Jimmy are all that is left of what we call the 10 Titan’s. They are the glue that keeps our “big fat Armenian” family alive and well. They are also are mentors and supporters. Even in death they are still an everyday part of our lives.

Saying goodbye to one of the Titans, who we all believed would never die is a huge adjustment and I find myself overwhelmed with the task of dealing with my personal feelings over her death, the responsibility of being the only member of my immediate family living in CT, representing my immediate family and needing to support my mother and grandmother who were not well enough to make the funeral.

I had a full work week scheduled and I felt horrible thinking this is NOT a convenient time for a funeral and all it’s activities. But that is exactly what I had to accept.

Life is what happened while I was busy making plans.

Focus on what is important.

I began to focus on the time I didn’t spend with my Aunt who I was very close to. All the times we spoke about dropping by for coffee and or having lunch together with Uncle Stanley and her at Olive Garden. (She is a VIP and has her own special table)

I realized that for me family IS what life is about, with all the wonderful things she shared with us and the memories I have of her and her sisters. The stories, support and love they gave me are the examples they left for me. They paved the road I am on and I stand on their shoulders as I go through my life.

Aunt Eleanor was all about her word and her integrity.

She loved her family and her church. When she gave her word you could count on it like the sun shining in the morning. She gave of her time generously and greeted life with an enthusiasm and positivity that is very scarce these days. She was always dressed to the nines, ready to go out on a minutes notice never worrying about what to do and how to get it all done. She was stubborn and very committed to her beliefs but she was flexible and knew when to give in.

She lived 90 quality years and embraced every situation. Her parents survived the Armenian genocide in 1915, she started work at 13, lived through the depression, married and divorced at a time when women didn’t get divorced. Married my uncle stanley and had two wonderful children and helped raise over 9 nieces and nephews, four grandchildren and over 25 great neices and nephews. She was an integral part of each of our lives. She new personal information about all of us and was there anytime we needed her. She knew what was important and never let anything get in her way.

My Aunt always said “we all do what we want to do.” “If it is important you put it first”

Big Rocks

Reflecting on her words of wisdom I got through this week better than I could possibly imagine by acknowledging my big rocks and committing fully to them.

Now tell me what your big rocks are? (Place your comments using the form below)

Live in Abundance, Kim