Celebrating Her Life

As difficult as this has been, I choose to believe the words of Walter Scott - that death is not the last sleep, but rather, the final awakening. Knowing Situ the way that I did, I know that she took great comfort in her faith, her belief in God, and life everlasting.

Nevertheless, as I struggled with the shock of her passing, my brother Danny, in an attempt to comfort me, said he visualizes her up in heaven right now with Gidu, who passed away a year and a half ago. We can just picture him, in Arabic of course, saying to her, "What took you so long?" And so their banter would ensue.

They were quite a pair: Inseparable actually. They had more in common than any other couple that I've ever met. As committed as she was to her husband, she was equally committed to her family.

She was a devoted wife, a hard-working mother, an extremely loving grandmother and great-grandmother, a caring cousin, a gentle aunt, and a compassionate sister.

She enjoyed being active, whether it was working on the farm back home, or going for long walks. She demonstrated the importance of staying active, regardless of age.

There are so many good memories to share, but it seems that the ones that stand out the most involve her cooking. She would often prepare and offer my brothers and I food, which always tasted delicious, and if we dared refuse, she would say, "Eat. It's good for the healthy." That's my Situ. It's good for the healthy. Ever since then it's become a catchphrase in our house. We say that to each other a lot.

Her spaghetti. Ronnie, Danny...you know what I'm talking about. In her last days, we reminded her of that spaghetti of which we couldn't get enough. Of course, we'd have to hurry up and eat it because she'd be eager to take our plates away to wash the dishes. So eager.

Like Gidu, Situ was very proud of her native land, Lebanon. When we visited her in '88 she made sure that we felt at home, that we were always engaged in a new adventure or experience, and that we knew that we were part of something greater than just ourselves. We were part of a very special family.

Her family was her greatest legacy. She was the ultimate matriarch. Her patience and confidence came from experience, and caring and nurturing others her whole life. She passed down her morals, her ethics, and her faith. Her own children exude these traits. This is a tribute to the character that she inspired.

When my son Matthew was born, my husband said that he now understood what it meant to live forever. I think it means that we continue to live on through our children. I see Situ when I look in the mirror and see my curly hair. Or when I watch how protective my son is towards his sister. Or when my daughter Ashley can't sit still. That's Situ. She lives through us.

I always enjoyed walking with her at Billings. She would help me by pushing the baby stroller. And we would do our rounds. She had so many friends, and was continually making new ones. Just like my mother. Once again - that's Situ.

While she pushed the stroller, we would walk and talk. She would give me the best baby advice. She told me once that her wish for me was to have a boy and a girl. I'm so, so happy that she got to know her great-grandchildren. She often shared many stories of Angelo, her first great-grandchild. He was the pride and joy in her life. I made a comment once about either Matthew or Ashley, I don't quite remember exactly, but it was probably something to the effect of how amazing they were, but what I do remember word-for-word was her response - she said, "Of course! Is there anything better than a baby?!" You could tell how much she loved them all.

Before she passed, we were fortunate enough to have shared with her that she was having another great-grandchild, and that her family was getting bigger. She was so delighted to hear that. (But it's not me this time!)

After today, we will continue to take care of our children, the way that she took care of hers. We will make friends and treat others with kindness, generousity and hospitality, just as she did. We'll stay active and curious, the way that she inspired us to. We'll continue to devote our lives to our families, the way that she always did. We'll continue to cherish God and have faith, because that's what she taught us. And that's how we'll honour her.

I conclude with a quote from Michaelangelo: If we have been pleased with life, we should not be displeased with death, since it comes from the hand of the same master.

- Ranya Menicucci -