On Thursday January 29th, 2009, at 3:30pm in Warsaw, Poland, my grandmother (Duza Mama) moved on from her body. She was in the comforts of her own home -- enjoyed a final cup of her favourite coffee, lay down on her bed and drifted off to sleep. It was the perfect passing that she would have wanted... calm and peaceful. She had struggled for over a year with illness as her body prepared for this time, and that was probably the most difficult time for Duza Mama. She was always a woman filled with curiousity and a zest for life: to be constricted by her body left her feeling helpless and lost. So, while loss is always filled with a sense of sadness and a realization of both how permanent and impermanent things are in this world; the fact that Duza Mama's spirit is now free to dance in the sun, not constrained by geography or physical boundaries, brings a sense of peace to my heart.
As we prepare for the birth of Baby J (official due date: February 19th), we are also reminded of the cycle of life, the magic of each moment, and the meaning we have the privilege to place on each day that we live.
There are so many beautiful memories that I have of Duza Mama - all of them celebrating an amazing life and a phenomenal woman with a free spirit. I still remember as a little girl (Isabel's age) cooking and baking with my grandmother. She always prepared the most amazing meals, and she let me help with every aspect of kitchen life. After we moved to Canada, I remember the amazing smells that filled our home each time Duza Mama would come to visit us. I also recall how much pride she took in everything she did... she herself would always say: "Heaven in your mouth" about the delicious meals she prepared. There was no conceit in her words, simply a feeling of satisfaction about what she created with love. When she first met Joshua, Duza Mama wrapped us in a scarf she had sewn and told us that this was like a circle of love that would protect us and keep us together forever. It's a wonder Joshua did not go running out the door as we had only been dating a few months... but I guess she already knew what we were just beginning to explore. That comes with the insight of years lived... and she was never shy to speak her mind: whether you liked what she had to say or not!!!
She continued to make many trips to visit us in Canada: never shy for a new adventure. She even made the long journey to Mexico in order to attend our wedding on the Mayan Riviera in April 2004. And she was swimming in the ocean with the rest of us -- getting into the water far before I would even dip my feet. In the summer of 2007, we went to visit Duza Mama in Europe so that Isabel could meet her. And even at this time, when her body was already beginning to fail her, she met us with open arms and we all cherished this precious time together.
In one of my last conversations with Duza Mama she told me how much she was looking forward to running in the fields with Isabel (and the new baby too). Her spirit is now free to run anywhere it chooses. She is not bound by her physical limitations, or the distance of geography that has separated many of us. Somehow, she always managed to transcend these boundaries with her love and immense sense of connection to family and friends -- who she valued above all else. I can feel her presence as I approach the birth of this new baby, I can feel her presence each time I bake with Isabel, I can feel her presence in the community the surrounds us. And, as Isabel said so beautifully when I told her about Duza Mama's passing:
"Now we have two people watching over us: Tata (my father) and Duza Mama. So we can always be happy, cuz they are with us all the time."
On Thursday January 29th, 2009, at 3:30pm in Warsaw, Poland, my grandmother (Duza Mama) moved on from her body. She was in the comforts of her own home -- enjoyed a final cup of her favourite coffee, lay down on her bed and drifted off to sleep. It was the perfect passing that she would have wanted... calm and peaceful. She had struggled for over a year with illness as her body prepared for this time, and that was probably the most difficult time for Duza Mama. She was always a woman filled with curiousity and a zest for life: to be constricted by her body left her feeling helpless and lost. So, while loss is always filled with a sense of sadness and a realization of both how permanent and impermanent things are in this world; the fact that Duza Mama's spirit is now free to dance in the sun, not constrained by geography or physical boundaries, brings a sense of peace to my heart.
As we prepare for the birth of Baby J (official due date: February 19th), we are also reminded of the cycle of life, the magic of each moment, and the meaning we have the privilege to place on each day that we live.
There are so many beautiful memories that I have of Duza Mama - all of them celebrating an amazing life and a phenomenal woman with a free spirit. I still remember as a little girl (Isabel's age) cooking and baking with my grandmother. She always prepared the most amazing meals, and she let me help with every aspect of kitchen life. After we moved to Canada, I remember the amazing smells that filled our home each time Duza Mama would come to visit us. I also recall how much pride she took in everything she did... she herself would always say: "Heaven in your mouth" about the delicious meals she prepared. There was no conceit in her words, simply a feeling of satisfaction about what she created with love. When she first met Joshua, Duza Mama wrapped us in a scarf she had sewn and told us that this was like a circle of love that would protect us and keep us together forever. It's a wonder Joshua did not go running out the door as we had only been dating a few months... but I guess she already knew what we were just beginning to explore. That comes with the insight of years lived... and she was never shy to speak her mind: whether you liked what she had to say or not!!!
She continued to make many trips to visit us in Canada: never shy for a new adventure. She even made the long journey to Mexico in order to attend our wedding on the Mayan Riviera in April 2004. And she was swimming in the ocean with the rest of us -- getting into the water far before I would even dip my feet. In the summer of 2007, we went to visit Duza Mama in Europe so that Isabel could meet her. And even at this time, when her body was already beginning to fail her, she met us with open arms and we all cherished this precious time together.
In one of my last conversations with Duza Mama she told me how much she was looking forward to running in the fields with Isabel (and the new baby too). Her spirit is now free to run anywhere it chooses. She is not bound by her physical limitations, or the distance of geography that has separated many of us. Somehow, she always managed to transcend these boundaries with her love and immense sense of connection to family and friends -- who she valued above all else. I can feel her presence as I approach the birth of this new baby, I can feel her presence each time I bake with Isabel, I can feel her presence in the community the surrounds us. And, as Isabel said so beautifully when I told her about Duza Mama's passing: "Now we have two people watching over us: Tata (my father) and Duza Mama. So we can always be happy, cuz they are with us all the time."
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