Dear Family & Friends,
I have had subtle signs all day that Stella is trying to communicate with me. As I sat down to look at her Facebook page, I realized the hour is the same as it was 365 days ago. Stella went off to heaven one year ago at 5PM. I have had a very difficult time since the Holidays. I have been in a "funk". I knew this day was coming and I tried to figure out how I would get through it. Today is also my dear friend, Dotty's birthday. Dotty has been my "other mother" for almost 18 years. She passed away on Christmas Eve after a tough battle with cancer. My sister & "Aunt Dot" loved each other & got to know each other when Stella would visit me here in Florida.
I have not written this blog for such a long time. I cry every time I read it. But I am so grateful that I wrote it because I have been blessed with the ability of reliving many details of the last month of my dear sister, Stella's life. Many of the details were sad, but so many more made me happy that I was able to share my sister with the world.
Stella was a strong person and had a great sense of humor. She had a great group of friends that she cherished and shared so many great memories with. Our family is so blessed to know that Stella brought so much joy & laughter to so many people. The wonderful stories I have heard and pictures her friends have posted--have helped get through this past year.
My family has shared many "Aunt Nelly moments" this past year. We all know the funny things that would make her laugh. She and I had so many inside jokes that I still find myself dialing the phone when I hear/see something that would make her laugh. Not hearing her voice has been very hard on me. I constantly listen to her old voicemails that I have saved on my cell phone just to help me get through. My sister & I spoke to each other every single day.
I have not had any dreams of my sister in this past year, but I have had hundreds of signs that she is always around. I am hopeful that I will start dreaming of her soon.
My Sissy gave us all so much in her time here on Earth. She would be telling me to stop crying if she were sitting next to me right now. She didn't want me to worry throughout her illness and always made sure I was okay. She was always looking out for her "baby sis". She always wanted us to be happy & enjoy life.
I have been trying to focus on a quote that I recently saw...as I know my sister would have said this to me:
"Don't cry because it's over...smile because it happened."
I hope that everyone who reads this can respond by sharing a fond memory that they have of our dear, Stella Rose. Thank you for reading.
Love, Grace
One of my favorite memories of Stella was during one of our visits to see you guys in FL... when we were staying at the Condo I let her know that I had a phone interview the next day and she was very excited and hopeful because she knew that I wanted to leave the job I was at. Well, the next day comes and I am amped for the phone call (1pm phone interview). Before I know it she was serving mimosas with breakfast, then her famous WOOWOOs before noon... we went down the the beach and she brought that football sized gatorade jug filled with WOO WOO and kept my glass filled to the top... by 1pm we were all drunk, she looked at me when the phone rang and laughed and said "good luck with that!" hahaha, probably the worst phone interview in history (wish I had it recorded), as you can tell I didn't get the job and the laughs we shared when I walked back to our beach chairs about how bad I must have sounded on the phone will be in my memories forever =)
ReplyDeleteThat is a GREAT story! I can totally picture it! We have been making WOOWOO's in our family for a LOOOOONG time! Thank you for making me laugh! Love you! xxxooo
DeleteHow beautifully you honor your sister today, and every day, Grace. Thank you for sharing your love for her with all of us.
ReplyDeleteSending you light, healing, and love.
Today and always,
Amy C. Ragg
This was great writing from the heart. I'm glad you had such a close relationship with Stella. I'm almost jealous of that.
ReplyDeleteI remember Stella always smiling, happy, and full of life. I wish I'd learned to emulate her sooner in life. I wish we'd stayed close over the years. I always thought of her as a good friend to me at that time in my life. I'm glad you wrote this blog too.
Cindy
Dear Grace,
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry to hear of Stella's passing. Even though the last time my brother David and I saw you all was sometime in the early '70s as we moved from Bellmore to Texas, I always thought about your big loving family and mentally wished you well. We lived down the street from you on Rutler Street. I know there is no loss like that of a sibling, as I lost David when he was only 33 years old. He had become a medical doctor in Houston and was just starting his life when he passed away. I know he always had fond memories of the Ciocia family and especially Stella. Please give my heartfelt condolences to all your family.
Cathy (Franklin) Sturdivant