Penny and I lived across the street from each other for years. Our friendship started after her husband of more than 65-years passed away and we took each other under our wings.
I would often take my daughter Kayla over to her house for a visit when she was little. Penny absolutely loved the company of a three-year-old and she would invite her over for a tea party or to play the piano as a gift to help me out while I was working from home.
I was amazed by Penny’s spice for life. Her husband, Milt, had always chauffered her around their entire marriage. So, with no one to transport her anymore, she decided to start driving at the age of 88!
I will never forget the time my husband, Scott, and I stepped out onto our driveway to find Penny driving down the road with two tires up on the curb. Luckily for all of us, her driving days didn’t last long. In lieu of a license and for everyone’s safety, myself, a few other neighbors and her family would take her out to eat or shopping.
Our friendship grew over the years as we found ourselves giggling over something funny at one of our monthly lunch dates. And our collective tears welled up when she reminisced about the love of her life and all the things they used to do together.
As the years rolled on, the upkeep of her home got to be too much. So, she moved in with her son, who lived about a mile away. We still maintained our friendship and went on outings as often as we could. But, they seemed to get less frequent the more busy I became with Kayla and work.
I went to visit her in June right before we left for our year-long trip around the world. She didn’t seem to be her energized self. But, she lit up as much as she could when she saw me. I was a little worried that this would be the last time I would see her and thought of Penny often while on our trip.
When we made a visit home to Austin over the December holidays, I stopped by her house and was pleasantly surprised to see how wonderful she was doing. She was sharp as a tack and back to her old fun-loving self. We had a great conversation and I felt so lucky to be able to see her again.
As we arrived home for good this past June, I was engrossed with all the things we needed to do upon reentry of our “real” life. I left a few messages for Penny with no return calls. I finally connected with her son and he informed me that she passed away in July at the incredibly young age of 97!
Penny was an extraordinary woman. Her Kindergarten teacher, playful roots attracted every child she came in contact with. Her positive attitude and exercise regimen of 3x per week at the Y until she was 94 still inspires me today. And her open appreciation for our friendship will always be in my heart. She was such a gift and I am forever grateful I had the honor of knowing her.
In admiration of this beautiful woman and the special people in your life that have moved on, this week’s 17-minute FREE Hatha Yoga Class, Yoga for Honoring Those Who Have Passed, is all about connecting with the light of your loved-one. Through floor asana, breath work and meditation, you pay tribute to the beautiful relationship you had and still have between the two of you.
Yoga with Meditation Mutha is for everyBODY. Please join me in this opportunity to connect deeply and show appreciation for this incredible being in your life. Enjoy! #yogawithmeditationmutha #meditationmutha
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