Losing the people we love is one of Life's curses, the price we pay for experiencing the extraordinary joy an open heart affords us.  We are all mere visitors here.  Our hearts' connections are less transient than our limited physical existence.  Never as feeble as our bodies, these deep connections endure through time and impact many generations.

The Optimistic Spirit of my Grandmother, who passed away this morning, lives on within me and my children.  Her innocence, her loving and forgiving heart will forever guide us through our own lives and impact the many people we are entwined with.

Born in Transylvania in 1912, the year the Titanic sank, my Grandmother lived through two World Wars.  She experienced famine and abuse.  Many bad things have happened to her, yet she chose to always forgive, move on and focus on the positive.   No matter how adverse her circumstances, she never lost hope.  She was fiercely loyal and the breadth of her love was boundless.  My father had heart problems and she offered him her heart.  When he passed away because of his condition, she was sad that no one took her up on her offer.  That is who my Grandmother was.  She always gave.  She always forgave.  She always hoped. 

At the height of her beauty, in her late twenties, she became a widow.  With a two year old child and many debts to repay, she rebuked the offer to become the concubine of a wealthy man, choosing to work two jobs instead.  She labored in the steel mill by day and unloaded coal at night.  Within several years she repaid the debt her husband left her with, aging many years in the process.  She didn't mind.  Living the honest life was the only way to keep a pure heart.  The lines on her face and the prematurely gray hair were a fair price to pay for a head held high and eyes that were as clear and loving as her soul. 

I had the privilege of being raised by this woman.   I was the apple of her eye, the nucleus of her heart, the most important person in the world to her.  She loved me unconditionally and thought that I was the most extraordinary human being on the face of this planet.  When my son came along, she devoted herself to him, pouring out all that love all over again.  This morning me and my son wailed together over the loss of the woman who loved us both fiercely, unconditionally, eternally. 

There are many things I can say about my Grandmother.  There are not enough words to express my gratitude and appreciation for her and for what she will forever mean to me and my son.   My Grandmother's fire of Life has been extinguished this morning, but the indelible light she left in my soul will forever guide me.  She has taught me that although money can render physical comfort, power and freedom, only Love can give us all those things only at a deeper level, one that is everlasting. 

As per her request, my grandmother's ashes will be scattered over the Ocean.  Her mortal body will be mere dust in the wind, yet her Love and spirit will guide me forever. 

As of this morning, I have one more Angel watching over me...

Mirela Monte, Your Myrtle Beach Connection                               Proud Optimist!