Numbers

She was 79 years old.  She came to this country 40 years ago.  Had seven children, 28 grandchildren, and 18 great-grandchildren.  She was in the hospital for 22 days before she passed.  In the end, her biography seemed to be about numbers; but her life, a life well-lived, was not about numbers at all.  It was about the people.  It was about the people she loved and those who loved her.  It was about the hard work it took for her, a single mother with seven children, at a time when it wasn’t common or highly accepted to be a single mother.  Hard work and more hard work to make a living and bring her children to the land of opportunity.  Her existence was about rough work, difficult situations and lots of children with tough responsibilities all around her.  She never had a break.  She raised her children and a few grandchildren.  But then again, she was so proud when she talked about any one of them.  She saw them go to school and get married and enjoy lives filled with opportunities.  Opportunities she never had, but that she was more than willing to sacrifice to give to those she loved. 

The conclusion to her life was not a mere set of facts and numbers.  It was a grand finale.  It was the culmination of many dreams she had for her family.  In the end, she glowed.