Saturday, August 28, 2010

A Positive Attitude

A couple of weeks ago, on August 11, Denise and I had scheduled a free living foods demo at Amoskeag Chiropractic in Manchester, NH. I happened to be on an extended stay in Florida with my 93-year-old Nana, so that my Uncle could be out of town. I was very sad to miss our event, which Denise pulled off brilliantly all on her own, but I had the rare opportunity to sit with a wise woman, hear her stories, and gain some wisdom.

For the event, we had capped the attendance at 35... but an enthusiastic 50 showed up! Denise served them walnut pate, angel hair with marinara, and dessert tartlets. Dr. Ed, of Amoskeag Chiropractic, was so thrilled with the presentation, he wants all of his patients to attend a similar event in a few months. Hundreds. All will be welcome, and I'll be certain to post the event on our calendar. Needless to say, I was very sorry to have missed this event.

Meanwhile, in Florida, Nana and I were having grand conversations about her childhood in NY, married life and being a mother, joining the corporate world at ABC... She truly led an amazing life, and I can only imagine what she would have accomplished had the times been more liberated for women. She's endured many hardships as well, but I believe she rose above them so well, and continues to do so, because she has an unflagging positive attitude. Her attitude is truly marvelous.

Three years ago, when my sister and I visited her for her 90th, she had recently had a rough time of it with melanoma. She had also gone blind in one eye and deaf in one ear. At 90, many would feel sorry for themselves (rightly so!), or even give up. Not Nana. She saw every day as a blessing and treated it as such. When my sister and I were leaving for the airport (my sister for Istanbul and I for Boston), Nana walked us out to the car to say goodbye. In a combination of brutal honesty and humor she parted with this: "I don't know if we'll she each other again. If not, goodbye!" She has since attended my sister's wedding and received several visits from her granddaughters.

I know, without a doubt, despite all the hardships that come her way, she continues to live a happy and meaningful life because of her positive attitude toward life. She treats each day as if it might be her last, and accepts this as a gift. Something we can all benefit to learn from. Enjoy the day as if it was your last!
Augusta