I was thinking about all the thoughtful little trinkets MJ would bring me when she came for yoga. The little angel medal, the prayer card from her pilgrimage to the Camino de Santiago, the little purple lump of clay with a smiley face, the mala bracelet, just to name a few. I thought about bringing some of the trinkets to give to her great-grandchildren. Instead, when I arrived at the service, her children had set up "Granny's flea market" so that everyone who came to pay their respects could take a memento.
The first thing I notice was a poem in a frame titled " When I'm an old woman". It starts "I shall wear purple with a red hat which doesn't go and doesn't suit me...." MJ told me "Honey, don't wait till you're old... wear purple and red!"
As I sat along the Wissahickon creek listening to her children honoring their mother I notice MJ's sweet little great-grand daughter wearing purple gloves. I had the pleasure of meeting some of MJ's family when she brought them to yoga class with her. What fun we had together when the little ones came to yoga with Granny! One of Mary Joan's daughter's spoke about some of the lessons they learned from their mother. On the drive home afterwards I was thinking about what lessons I had learned from MJ.
* Life is too short to follow the rules. Wear purple and red, silly socks and dye your hair pink!
* Family over everything and everyone is family.
* You're never too old for an adventure.
* Thoughtfulness and kindness matter.
* Fear steals joy.
* It's hard to surrender and allow our children to take on some of our roles but it will happen anyway.
MJ was always looking for the lesson is whatever was troubling her. I so admired her willingness to see each challenge as an opportunity to learn something. She was always listening for the message from the Universe. I oftentimes wanted to tell her that maybe the lesson is that sometimes life just sucks! I was less willing to see each challenge as a lesson...
Here's the thing, life does just suck sometimes but other times it's beautiful and breathtaking and spectacular. Mary Joan's celebration of life was beautiful. It was as thoughtful as MJ herself. Perhaps the most profound lesson I learned from the lady in the purple gloves is that at the end of the day all that really matters is how much we have loved.
The lady in the purple gloves taught me that a mother's love teaches her children what love is. That is the greatest lesson of all.
Farewell my friend...
