With Spunky Ethel as your grandma, you pay attention.  What I noticed is something that means even more now as an adult than when I first heard it as a child.

I have very clear memories of my grandmother picking me up after school, and taking time to focus on me and my world. Sitting at the Roses discount store lunch counter, she taught me how a little love and chocolate cake can melt away the stresses of grade school.

Later, as a teenager, I remember one hot summer day pulling up in front of her home to find her perched outside with a big smile on her face drinking a can of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer  -  through a straw. Then there was the first time she put on head phones. Her face lit up like a young girl at the carnival for the first time. She had spunk all right. She was living life on her own terms and loving every minute of it.

Of all of Spunky Ethel’s favorite sayings, the one that has stuck with me and meant more as the years go by is simply this:   This too shall pass. 

She would remind me of this truth when I was going through a tough time. These days, I’ve come to appreciate Spunky Ethel’s words in a whole new way.  We have plenty of difficulties between job loss, financial troubles, workplace stress and more.  But there are also moments of joy, laughter, and the satisfaction of a job well done.

Now in her advice, I hear this:

Embrace this life now while you have it.
Be present. Be a full participant in your whole life. Live without regrets.
You have this moment with your family and friends, live it.
You have this moment to go after your dreams, go for it.
You have this moment to make a difference, do it.
Don’t worry about appearing too selfish or arrogant or bossy. That ultimately doesn’t matter.
What matters is that you lived, truly lived, every moment of your life, that you felt every morsel, that you never gave up.
Because one day, this thing called life…this too shall pass.

Unfortunately, Spunky Ethel was stricken by Alzheimer’s the last years of her life and her cognizant moments faded away.  One day, while my mom was visiting her at the nursing home as she’d done hundreds of times before, Grandma’s eyes suddenly became clear and alert.  Even though she hadn’t recognized my mom or uttered her name in years, Grandma looked directly at my mom and said “Thank you, Donna, for everything.  I love you.”  For a moment they connected.  Then the moment was gone.  The next day she passed. 

Leave it to Spunky Ethel to somehow, someway, use her spirit to break through the mental cloud caused by a debilitating disease to make her last moments meaningful.  If she could muster courage and exude life in a moment like that, then we all can. 

About Mary Foley

Mary Foley inspires women with practical advice to create sanity for their lives and confidence for their careers – all while having a bit of fun!  She is the author of three books including Bodacious Woman:  Outrageously in Charge of Your Life and Lovin’ It, a popular national speaker, and former co-host of the Girlfriend We Gotta Talk! radio show.  You can be inspired, too!  Get her FREE Sanity, Confidence and Fun Action Pack jam-packed full of e-books, mini-posters, and other goodies at www.maryfoley.com.