A beloved lady passed away last week. I just got back from a short trip to my home state to honor her life, and celebrate the ninety years she spent blessing people. She was smart, and funny, and gut-wrenchingly honest, but never cruel. To know her was to understand implicitly that in her eyes, you were enough. Children were dearest to her, and teaching and education were her passions, but it was the unconditional love she bestowed on every single soul she touched that changed lives. She was the closest thing to God I've ever experienced on this plane, and alot of what I have learned about giving came from her.
Her last request for me was that I sing at her memorial. As a little girl I spent hours singing for her. First, it was "The Sound of Music." Then it was "The Sound of Music" in Spanish. Then French. Of course, my four-year-old brain only knew English but that didn't stop me. I had, after all, a captive audience and a rather long rap-sheet of attention seeking behavior. But it never tired her. It seemed I could only bring her joy, and in doing so, she returned to me an invaluable gift. It would have been easier not to sing at the funeral. I barely made it through, as it was, and it's not like she was going to know if I didn't do it. But even beyond her last breath, she had one last lesson for me about love. Gifts are sometimes most beneficial to the giver.
With love,
Liz
A newsletter and information page for Out of the Gray, a charity incorporated in the state of Washington, which exists to benefit women who serve others, often to their own neglect, especially those in extreme circumstances.
Out of the Gray Mission Statement
As the gap widens between economic groups, there is an increasing need for resources for those women left between welfare benefits and a comfortable lifestyle.
Our society is well-studied enough to acknowledge what statistics tell us: that the stress of hopelessness and isolation poses significant risks for violence, cyclical poverty, and physical and mental illness. Many women are left in this state because they are occupied serving others in their care who cannot help themselves.
Not every contribution a person makes on behalf of society can be measured financially. Our role is to come alongside those who stand in that gap, and affirm that their compassion benefits everyone. Our goal is not only to provide some nice, personally stylized clothing and other miscellaneous items for self-care, but also to represent to these women that they are not invisible. We respect their sacrifices and support them in their quiet acts of devotion, and will do what we can with what we have to increase their ability to lead within their families and within their communities.
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About Me
- Liz
- I am just a girl whose passion, and the primary goal of Out of the Gray, is enabling that beautiful blush of realization that rises when a woman sees her self, for the first time, as a work of art.
Contact Information
To nominate someone
to be an Out of the Gray client
please contact:
Elizabeth Joseph
outofthegray@gmail.com
or at
20825 SR 410 E
Bonney Lake, WA 98391
2 comments:
Aw, Liz. She was a great, gracious lady. And you're honoring her legacy so well. Sniff.
Liz, so amazing. What a generous gift.
I sang at my dads funeral and I know how hard it is. Since music feels like it comes from the soul it is a perfect parting gift! Wonderful site, wonderful cause...
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