Yesterday, the mother of one of my best friends past away. She was an amazing woman. A joy of a person.
Ive (pronounced Eva) was an immigrant, a war bride, from Italy. She was tiny and lively and great fun. Despite all her years in the States, she never lost her accent. It was thick and wonderful. She was full of love for her own Italian heritage and was sure to pass that love to her living children, Kenny, Robert and Lisa.
Ive never met an enemy. She was quick with a helping hand, an encouraging word. She always expected you to be your best, look your best, and put your best out for "public consumption". She never went out looking badly but rather always, despite her oxygen, always had on "her face", her nails polished and her nice clothes. She worked hard for the things she had and expected the same from you. Even when she was ill, she was busy. Busy taking care of others, of her precious, "Skippy" (her Yorkie) or taking care of the emotional wellbeing of everyone around her.
She was beautiful too. Honestly, so beautiful and proud of her beauty, as well she should have been. Her smile was brilliant, her eyes dancing with mischief, glee or just pure joy when ever her lips turned up in a grin. She loved her grandchildren, OH! How she loved her grandchildren.
Ive was about being thankful for all the gifts and blessings God had given her and not about being regretful for those things she didn't have. She knew she was a child of God and her life shone because of it. I swear you could see the woman's halo.
The fun thing is that my mom was just like her, minus the Italian part. Lisa and I were so fortunate, and indeed blessed, to be a part of these women; to have been raised by such extraordinary people, and, in fairness, equally extraordinary men. I can only hope that in our lives, we exude at least a small speck of the love and inspiration these beautiful women have shown in theirs.
Thank you mom and Ive for believing in the goodness inside all people, for showing us how to always put our best out there for the world to see; for loving us with all your hearts despite all our faults; for believing in us and for just being you.
Heaven got another angel yesterday and she's right up there with my angel mom. God loves you Ive and so do we.
5 comments:
Your moms must have done a good job passing along all the love and joy. They'd be proud of you both.
Aww, It's so wonderful That God Blessed you with memories like this. I hope people will say the same about me, when I go home to The Loving Father :)
Angie
Sorry to hear about your friend's mom, but at the same time, how blessed to have somebody like that in your life, double! Can't help to think that she sound a lot like my grandma, and mom!
That is so typical of many immigrant woman, my husband's grandmother (God bless her she'll be 99 this Dec. 31st) is just like that and migrated from Germany many moons ago!!! My grandmother (100% Italian, her folks migrated when she was little - I never had the fortunate opportunity to meet them but heard a lot about them.
It certainly is wonderful to have such wonderful and highly-spirited people in one's life; it's so contagious but yet in this day in age, let's face, harder to come by and harder to be. I would love to see more of that.
I'm truly sorry about your loss (both of them) since we need more of those wonderful women in our lives. They are truly ful-filling out their destiny up in Heaven just as you have said. :)
What a beautiful tribute you have posted here. She sounds like she was blessed with beauty, friendship and family. Truly a blessed life!!
Thanks for sharing this, It gives me the uplift I needed to keep looking at life in a positive way!
XO
Gabi
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