OK, so it wasn’t exactly Eleanor Roosevelt. It was more like a former student in the hospital’s internship program who left this message on a chalkboard that faced my patient station. She decorated that chalkboard more than three years ago, and the staff has left it intact because the words are timeless and oh so inspiring.
"I could not, at any age, be content to take place by the fireside and simply look on. Life was meant to be lived. Curiosity must be kept alive. One must never, for whatever reason, turn his back on life." - Eleanor Roosevelt.
Usually, I interpret this kind of message, randomly delivered, to be personally directed at me, of course. Rather, I personalize it, internalize it, and take it to heart. We don’t know everything, so when a message touches us, we should embrace it and apply it, because such things surely can’t be accidental.
I’m pretty sure in this case I am right. For this message spoke to me at a time when I was thinking about a very cool uncle of mine.
Uncle Frank is my father’s youngest brother. In our family, the DNA runs strong and deep, so you can see the family resemblance quite strikingly when you look at my Dad and Uncle Frank. It goes beyond that, too. Both of them worked at Sikorsky Aircraft here in Connecticut, one of the state’s major employers and the manufacturer of the well known Black Hawk helicopter.
Proud union members, they. Strong minded in their beliefs. Dedicated to their jobs because dedication to the job meant dedication to the families they were providing for. I think that was inherent in their generation, because work ethic these days for many people has a different definition.
Until last August, Uncle Frank held the title of being the longest serving employee at Sikorsky - just shy of 56 full years. He started working there directly after he concluded his military service as an Airman Third Class in the U.S. Air Force, and there is not a time I can remember seeing Uncle Frank over the years when he did not smile when he spoke about his job at Sikorsky.
“I got it made,” I think was the most common remark. He had his spot in the sheetmetal fabrication department. If I was lucky, I would catch him there on a rare occasion since I started working at the company several years ago. Without fail, he would break into an instant smile when he saw me coming.
For reasons that are his to hold, Uncle Frank decided it was time to call it a career. I say, good for him. His retirement is well deserved, and I hope it means he will have plenty of time now to drink in the love and attention of his family and good friends.
Over the years, Uncle Frank would be the rare uncle at a family gathering who would be taking video or photographs to capture the occasion and the family members that were there to share it. I remember him telling me that he kept a scrapbook of any newspaper articles about relatives, keeping track of the success story that accumulated over the years to continue telling the family story.
How can you not love a guy who is sentimental and proud of his family?
There are so many ways to describe Uncle Frank, from his affection for his German shepherds through the years (each one, according to him, being the “best dog in the world”) to his contagious laugh and an overly generous heart. He has always been exceedingly proud of his children, encouraging them and doing whatever he could to make their lives comfortable. I don’t know for sure but I would bet it was Uncle Frank who ignited the love of music that they each have and cultivate daily.
So many gifts from one man. Uncle Frank has not turned his back on life. He is taking each day as a gift. Life is meant to be lived, right?
The other day, when I returned to my patient station for my last therapy session, I again faced the Eleanor Roosevelt quote and settled in. As it does each morning, the pastoral care department then issued its daily inspirational message over the intercom system. The message angels were two for two, offering words that I believe in and know to my core.
Spend time with your loved ones; they’re not going to be around forever... Say I love you to your spouse and your loved ones... Hold hands... Cherish the moment.
Copyright 2011 By Marianne V. Heffernan
No comments:
Post a Comment