+1: Tribute To Ruth (#018)

Welcome to Mama Goddess. I'm your host, Alexandra J. Johnson. This podcast is all about rocking your goddess life, creating vibrant health and celebrating motherhood and family life. It's about living an authentically awesome life. Let's have some fun.

Hello, this is Alexandra. Welcome to another Optimize plus one Our sweet neighbor Ruth was blind and lived by herself. She was 95. We developed a sweet relationship with her over the last seven years. She rode her stationary bike in her garage every morning and most afternoons she would open up the garage to get some fresh air and we would stop by with the kids to say hello. We would hold hands with her every time. It became our little ritual. She was always so delighted when we stopped by to visit. She actually bought one of Emerson's first pieces of artwork and kept a police badge that he made on her kitchen table. She had been struggling with her health for a few months and had said she was ready to go home. Those were her wishes. Brian and I went to the hospital to see her and I read her the Won't yout Be My neighbor poem by Mr. Rogers. Tears streamed down my face as I stroked her head and played her two videos the kids made telling her that they loved her. I then told her how much we loved and appreciated her and that she was such an exemplar of how to age well and that she was the best neighbor ever. That she was such a light, so full of joy and love, and that we were grateful to have her in our lives. We then stood in silence and observed her laboriously breathing and sent her so much love as she was in the process of transitioning. I will miss walking by and seeing her riding her bike. I will miss seeing the smoke rising from her chimney in the morning. I will miss holding her sweet hands with her red nail polish as we talk about the simple things in life. I will miss Eleanor and Emerson reaching to hold her hand as well. I will miss hearing her laugh. I will miss her light, her energy. She was pretty special. These are a few things that I loved about her. She was a powerful and inspirational woman. She was a pioneer. She was an exemplar of living well. She rode that bike every morning and most afternoons and she was always listening to audiobooks, always learning. She had such a positive attitude. She radiated a youthful joy and enthusiasm. She had a zest for life. She had a power and fearlessness in the way she lived. She was 95 and blind and living by herself. Astonishing. She was a light and she had an innocent sweetness about her. I can hear her laugh in my head and envision her lighting up every time we stopped by to visit. Every time I interacted with her, I felt inspired. I feel grateful that we had the time with her, that she was and always will be a part of our family story. I can see her house outside my office. We of course knew she was old and that she had some lung issues, but we didn't know how serious it was. You never know when the last goodbye will be. The garage door is now closed. How I wish it would open and we'd see her healthy and riding her bike again. That we could go in and say hello, laugh and see the kids reach out for her hands. I'm flooded with all the little things that made our connection so sweet and special. It has opened my heart and made me want to be a better person. Bless you Ruth. Maybe take some time and think about someone who's inspired you and makes your life better. Let them know that today, even if it's someone who inspired you years ago, people never get tired of hearing about how they've positively impacted your life. May we all embody Ruth's grace, joy, courage and enthusiasm for life, sending you big love and blessings.

We hope you enjoyed this episode of Mama Goddess. Sending you lots of love and blessings. If you'd like to connect more, go to mamagoddess.com until next time, keep rocking it and have an awesome day.