Nana's 88th Birthday

...yes, you read that right.  This past weekend we went to Long Beach to celebrate Nana's 88th birthday.  Nana is pretty amazing.

We grew up spending most of our time at Nana's house.  When my family moved to Long Beach they all lived in one house -- which my dad used to call headquarters.  My great-grandparents, my nana and papa, my Aunt Nina and Uncle Mike all lived under one roof, along with my Uncle Dennis, Aunt Dolores and my mom.  When we were kids, every Sunday night, most summer nights and countless other days and nights were spent at Nana's house.  It was a great house and great block, with tons of kids to play with until we were called in after dark.

Nana has been through a lot in her life and has endured hardships that I cannot begin to imagine.  She was widowed at the age of 52, when my sister was just 8 months old, and was faced with the daunting prospect of entering the workforce for the very first time.  She worked for many years at City Hall, where she was loved by many.   In too short a period of time, she lost her only nephew, my Uncle Dennis; her sister, my Aunt Nina; her brother in law (who tortured her endlessly), my Uncle Mike and ultimately her daughter, my Aunt Dolores.

Through it all, today, Nana is probably more independent and more self-sufficient than she has ever been in her life.  And she recently told me that today, surrounded by grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great nephews, she has achieved a happiness she has never known  I know she feels that she missed out on some of our childhood because she had to work and is now just splendoring in the joys of her great grandchildren.  She is as sharp as a tack, knows everything that is going on in the world, and still cooks meatballs, macaroni and eggplant parmigiana on a regular basis.

Celebrating Nana's 88th birthday also got me thinking about how little living I have done.  I stress and stress and stress about the little, passing things in life, but why?  If I am lucky enough to be around at 88, I know I will never remember about the time I didn't respond to a client fast enough or --just this weekend -- forgot my blackberry at home and couldn't check it for nearly 24 hours.  However, I will remember those extra few minutes I spent with Mark and Lyla listening to her belly laughs, dancing with her, making silly faces together, torturing her with tickles, teaching her songs or simply watching her sleep.

Thanks, Nana, for teaching us a little bit about what it means to live.