House of Deej
July 24, 2008
I Hope You Dance
I think most of us have that someone special in our lives that makes us smile no matter what they do. It's that someone that we admire. It's that person that we look up to and want to be like.
I want to be like "her" - my great aunt Amelia.
Ever since I was a child, she was this force to be reckoned with. She was pure class, yet tough as nails. She was the model of decorum with the sassiness of a downtown streetwalker.
I cherished every conversation I had with her. If we were at the same wedding, funeral, birthday party, or picnic, I followed her around like she was the Pied Piper. I hung on every word and encouraged her to share story after story with me.
To her, life was just one adventure after another.
Into her 80s she still volunteered at her local nursing home. She enjoyed helping out "the old people" in her spare time.
Through her 80s she still went dancing every Saturday night. Once upon a time I asked her if she was still doing this and she said "I sure try, but it's getting more difficult as I get older. The friends I go dancing with are all dying. Isn't that just the shits?" I giggled with glee at her choice of words.
Once she told me about a tornado warning she'd recently experienced. Someone called to let her know and to urge her to go into her basement - just in case. Her reply? "Hell NO! If it's my time and God wants to come and get me, he's going to find me in my living room and not my dirty basement!" Again, she made me laugh.
She smoked like a chimney. She was never caught in public without her signature red lipstick. She loved drinking beer directly out of the bottle - never EVER a can!
In her lifetime, she visited every continent except Antarctica. She raised five kids. She spoke three languages. She took care of old people. She danced and danced and danced. She lived in her own home until two days before she left this world. She savored each moment she was alive.
She died a short while ago.
Yet, even as she was dying she found a way to bring laughter to my life. I wasn't able to be with her. Her immediate family was all gathering in the hospital. Voices were hushed just as they are whenever someone is gravely ill. I am sure there were a lot of those "how is she doing" comments buzzing around her. Amelia, seemingly was asleep - oblivious to all that went on.
Suddenly, her voice filled the room. Her eyes never opened, but she said "excuse me? Will you all quiet down? I can hear you. I am not dead YET!"
About five minutes later she was gone.
I wasn't sad when I heard she died. She was nearing 100 years old. She'd lived an amazing life. She was ready to let it go.
I was just happy that her passing was so easy for her.
I was even more happy that I was able to share a part of her world as I traveled through my own life. I can smile when I remember her. I will always cherish her memory and consider myself blessed.
I just hope I can still be dancing when I am 90! I wish the same for you.
Peace
I want to be like "her" - my great aunt Amelia.
Ever since I was a child, she was this force to be reckoned with. She was pure class, yet tough as nails. She was the model of decorum with the sassiness of a downtown streetwalker.
I cherished every conversation I had with her. If we were at the same wedding, funeral, birthday party, or picnic, I followed her around like she was the Pied Piper. I hung on every word and encouraged her to share story after story with me.
To her, life was just one adventure after another.
Into her 80s she still volunteered at her local nursing home. She enjoyed helping out "the old people" in her spare time.
Through her 80s she still went dancing every Saturday night. Once upon a time I asked her if she was still doing this and she said "I sure try, but it's getting more difficult as I get older. The friends I go dancing with are all dying. Isn't that just the shits?" I giggled with glee at her choice of words.
Once she told me about a tornado warning she'd recently experienced. Someone called to let her know and to urge her to go into her basement - just in case. Her reply? "Hell NO! If it's my time and God wants to come and get me, he's going to find me in my living room and not my dirty basement!" Again, she made me laugh.
She smoked like a chimney. She was never caught in public without her signature red lipstick. She loved drinking beer directly out of the bottle - never EVER a can!
In her lifetime, she visited every continent except Antarctica. She raised five kids. She spoke three languages. She took care of old people. She danced and danced and danced. She lived in her own home until two days before she left this world. She savored each moment she was alive.
She died a short while ago.
Yet, even as she was dying she found a way to bring laughter to my life. I wasn't able to be with her. Her immediate family was all gathering in the hospital. Voices were hushed just as they are whenever someone is gravely ill. I am sure there were a lot of those "how is she doing" comments buzzing around her. Amelia, seemingly was asleep - oblivious to all that went on.
Suddenly, her voice filled the room. Her eyes never opened, but she said "excuse me? Will you all quiet down? I can hear you. I am not dead YET!"
About five minutes later she was gone.
I wasn't sad when I heard she died. She was nearing 100 years old. She'd lived an amazing life. She was ready to let it go.
I was just happy that her passing was so easy for her.
I was even more happy that I was able to share a part of her world as I traveled through my own life. I can smile when I remember her. I will always cherish her memory and consider myself blessed.
I just hope I can still be dancing when I am 90! I wish the same for you.
Peace
posted by DeeJay at 02:00
22 Comments:
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what a lovely story of a family member you loved, thank you for sharing it :D
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Sarai - I have been meaning to write this for some time now; she's actually been gone for a bit. It just seemed fitting for today for some reason. I'm glad you liked it. You truly would have loved her!
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What a strong person she was. Even when she had only five minutes to live she was still strong by demanding an entire room to 'shut up'. :-)
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Brought two tears to my eyes!
A lovely read, thank you for sharing.
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She sounds like a lovely woman, beautiful story!
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I thought it was funny as my great grandmother got into her 90's and senility set in, she started cursing. That always makes me snicker to picture it.
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I've never had anyone like that in my life except when I worked as a CNA. It's just amazing the type of people that bless us simply by being them. What a sweet story Deeji..
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Logis - She was an amazing woman. I hope to be just like her some day!
Annmi - Thanks! We lost her months ago; I have always meant to do a tribute to her of some sort. This is hardly enough. At the time, I just had some other issues I was dealing with and didn't write.
Lunar - Awww thanks. She was a fantastic lady and a delightful character to have in my life. I'll remember her always.
P - LOL Oh yeah? This lady cursed her whole life - or at least as long as I can remember. She never said "fuck", but she sure used "shit" a lot!
Chica - Maybe you'll be that person for someone someday! Or, maybe you'll find someone like her yet. She truly did bless my life. : )
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great story. I hope I'm dancing at that age(if I live that long).
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Aww, I would have loved to have met her, she sounded like she was quite a character!
I love what she said about the Tornado warning, lol!
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Do the Gods still make that model? Geez i hope so! Best wishes for you, I know you will miss her.
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There are too few like that around.
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Amelia sounds a lot like my great-grandmother. Although Granna was a bit strange. She used to sit in the corner and pretend to be sleeping, only to open her eyes wide and shout "BOLLOCKS!" when she heard you talking about her.
Lovely story Deej, you did a fantastic job honouring such a wonderful woman.
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Windy - Me too! I want to be just like her!
Laurie - LOL I know; that's one of my favorite things as well. She was always full of things like that though!
Etainne - Yeah, I will miss her. It's sad to think I'll never be graced by her presence again. I would love to have seen her just one more time.
Bebbs - No kidding! I keep hoping I can be like her some day!
Twisty - LOL What was "Bollocks" all about? What does that mean?
Thanks for what you said. : )
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That was a fantastic story. I don't know that I've ever known anyone quite like that, although my first wife's granny comes close. I adored that old woman.
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Tex - You'd have loved this little lady. She was 100% character!
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Your aunt lived an amazing life. That was a wonderful tribute to her:)
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I hope to be an old saucy woman some day.
I wish I had some one like her in my life to use as a roll model!
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Bollocks is a term for testicles... but generally used in the same context as 'bullshit'. Y'know? Basically, Granna would sit and pretend to sleep until people starting talking about her, saying she was getting old and stuff, and then she'd just shout 'bollocks' at them and laugh.
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Lisa - She really did lead a wonderful life. She was so amazing!
LMC - No kidding! I think we all could use someone like her in our lives!
Twisty - LOLOLOL I have never heard that before. Your Granna sounds priceless! What a character!
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What a lovely tribute to such an incredible mentor. I love the song, "I Hope You Dance" and from now on, whenever I hear it, shall think of your Aunt Amelia.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIAWY...IAWY4LLsEw
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That was so beautiful Deejay, what a lovely tribute to such a fabulous lady.
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