I was on a business trip in LA this morning, and was awakened at 6:15 by a phone call from my office. A co-worker of mine passed away unexpectedly last night. She had had some health issues in the past, but her death was definitely a surprise.
Nellie was only 50 (48? 49?). She has three kids – 2 in college, and one who’s only 12. Her oldest was an intern in my office over the summer and I was lucky enough to work with her and get to know her.
I’ve thought a lot about Nellie today. I think that what I will most remember about Nellie is that she always told me how envious she was that I had babies. "It goes by so fast," she used to tell me. "I swear my kids were babies yesterday. Enjoy every moment of it."
Nellie’s kids meant so much to her. She worked hard, and had a lot of outside interests, including improv, Project Runway, and social media. But her family was her #1 priority. I learned today that she talked to each of her kids several times a day, which didn’t surprise me.
So why I am writing about her here? To me, this is Nellie’s legacy: pay attention to the little things, and relish them. Enjoy your kids; don’t rush through the days with them. Don’t let other things take priority, because these are precious days and won’t be here forever. Keep things in perspective.
Thank you, Nellie. You will be missed.
Nellie was such a special person who touched my life profoundly. She once told me that the three happiest days of her life were the days she gave birth to her three children. She was looking forward to having children and knew would enjoy being a mom, but she was surprised with the incredible love she felt for each of them- she said it was an emotion that overtakes you and you cannot adequately describe until you experience it yourself. She said “You know you will love your baby…but you don’t realize how much you will LOOOOOVE your baby.” She once cried when talking about how fast her children were growing up.
My heart goes out to Nellie’s children as they cope with the loss of their mom. I hope they never forget how much she loves them. I am glad she told them so every single day.
Sorry about the tragic loss of your friend, Nellie. Your expression of sorrow will be appreciated by her family and friends, I’m sure.
Love,
Ann
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