Just Do It!

I spoke to my Aunt Ruthie a few days ago. She just moved for the third or fourth time since my Theo Costa (Uncle Gus in Greek) passed away seven years ago. When I think about Aunt Ruthie a collage of memories comes to mind - she's always been a very soft-spoken Southern lady - but she had a laugh reminiscent of Phyllis Diller, could burp on demand (which never failed to impress my brother, George, and me!), was always ready to take us on an adventure whether it was fishing or some other fun pursuit. She has always been my favorite Aunt. We spent a lot of time with her as kids. She and my Uncle would come up from Florida and stay with us for the entire summer. I can't begin to tell you what a treat that was!

Aunt Ruthie was not Greek, but she learned how to cook all my Uncle's favorite dishes from my Giagia (grandmother & her mother-in-law). Her genuine love and respect for my Giagia didn't go unnoticed. She always treated her with great tenderness and love, especially in later years when she'd had several strokes and was frail. My Giagia would lapse into Greek half-way through her conversations with everyone - including my Aunt Ruthie - but even though she didn't really speak Greek, she understood her perfectly. Love is the universal language, isn't it?

My Aunt Ruthie just moved again to a senior residence - she is now just shy of 81 years old - she and her beloved cat, I should say. I remember well when my husband and I moved from Tennessee to New York 20 years ago - I was only in my early 30's and while we also had a toddler and baby at the time, packing and actually moving was an exhausting, overwhelming experience. I can't even imagine doing the packing, cancelling services, changing addresses, drivers license, taking care of banking, finding new doctors, and all the other details a move entails all by myself at 80. But she did it. I had no way of contacting her until she moved and settled in. I was so relieved to hear her voice when she called the other night to share her new address and phone number.

I asked how she was and she shared that it was exhausting, and the drive from Sanford to West Palm Beach was a bit daunting, but she said she got in the car with her cat, just said, "I can do this" and she did! That's been her "MO" all her life. She pretty much did everything, even when my Uncle was alive, although just being able to share it all with him made it easier. She has never complained or become bitter or felt she's had such a difficult life (although some would definitely think she had every right to).

As soft-spoken and sweet as she is, there is an undeniable current of strength and determination that is evident in her. She only quit her waitressing job 2 years ago!! Hard work never put her off. She's had to overcome difficulties from the time she was a child. Rather than dwelling on what she didn't get or have, she moved forward and did what she knew to do and at each juncture, God showed her the very next step, and the next...

Even though we are not related by blood but by marriage, I pray that some of her strength, courage and determination have rubbed off on me - even just a little. Nike may have coined the phrase, "Just do it" but she epitomizes it every day.