Storytime Tapestry Newsletter

The newsletter devoted to spreading love and cultural awareness throughout the world.

Special Treat – Jane Olivia

June 11, 2006

Submitted By Janice Bumbalough Marler: A tribute for a sister written by her friend, Jane Olivia

Jane now becomes writer # 335 for Storytime Tapestry, please email Janice if you want to welcome Jane to Storytime Tapestry.

Non Ti Meate Cara

*Note: Italian for:

(Don’t Forget, You Are My Heart)

My sister, Christine Olivia, was born March 26, 1955. She passed away May 16, 2005.  Her bout with cancer was a long and arduous one.  I wrote the following as a tribute to my sister and want to share it with the world.  I read this at her funeral.

Jane Olivia

For Tina

Jane Olivia

I’m standing here, in the shadow of one of the greatest to walk this earth.  She’s my sister Christine.  To her family she was Tina.  Tina wasn’t rich or famous, but she possessed a huge heart that felt everyone’s pain.  She was very gentle, mindful and kind, always a lady and generous to a fault.  Tina was incredibly intuitive with impeccable morals, strong convictions, and strong un-wavering beliefs.  She believed in ‘Checks and Balances’.  She believed in God, and she believed in Heaven.  Tina would feed anyone who was hungry.  She was an avid animal rescuer.  Tina devoted a great deal of her time, and of herself, to helping strays, (even at times when it was a risk to her).  Tina prayed everyday that she would win the lottery.  It wasn’t for personal wealth, (surely it wouldn’t have hurt to be more comfortable), but mostly she wished she could ‘scoop up’ all the homeless families, and house them until they were on their feet.

We would daydream of buying a farm to take in all the unwanted animals.  As you can imagine, while we daydreamed, plotted, and planned all these projects, we wished for huge winnings!  Tina taught me, and the closest to her, a great deal.  Most importantly, she taught us tolerance and respect, the two most critical main ingredients for total peace among all of us.

Despite my many failures, I know she was proud of me and the person I am today.  I owe that mostly to her.  She was my number one fan, and supported me in all my endeavors.  She made me care about people’s pain and troubles; she caused me to care about animals as much as she did, and to place their needs before my own.  That made her a ‘true mother’ to all who knew and loved her.  Tina loved to laugh.  For as far back as my memories of her can go, she was always in search of fun, even if it was at her expense.  It was so easy to make her laugh, and we laughed a lot.  I’ll always treasure the sound of her laughter, my fondest memory of her, for the rest of my days.  My sister was extremely ill for a very long time, and she lived in constant pain.  I greatly admired her drive.  I would watch, in awe, each day as she pushed herself to clean her home, cook wonderful meals and groom herself.  She wanted to be presentable.  Tina did this, even if she was spending the entire day at home.  She believed we all deserved a positive image and she never missed a day.  Three days a week, she literally dragged herself to dialysis.

I always knew the primary reason she did all of this, was for me, and I loved her dearly for it.  She was the head of our house and the glue that held us together.

Tina knew her days were running short.  We often spoke at length about who she would be leaving behind, and she felt tremendous sadness.  She loved all of us, and she begged me not to fall apart in her absence. Tina wanted me to move on for the better and to step up in her place. ( I will never be worthy of the task).  She was exceedingly concerned for all of us, but you, Alan, (Alan is my husband); she worried about the most.  She made me promise to take care of you.  I will not break that promise because you loved her deeply and I watched you care for her with gentle kindness.  Tina worried about Diane and Chris, (Diane is my sister and Chris is her son), she communicated the same concerns and made me promise that we would stay together as a family.  I promised that I would take care of the rest of her family too, and I promised I would take care of the animals she loved so dearly.  I did my best to make her happy and comfortable while she was sick.  I will wish, forever, that I could have done more for her, and I’m sure she knew that; she knew that I loved her more than life itself.

Tina was so easy to love.  Thank you, Tina, for everything.  For all your love, and nurturing, and for all the laughs we had together.  My heart will be broken in your absence..

I must find comfort in knowing all your worries are over, that you are no longer in pain, and truly in the best of company.

We are all tremendously grateful for every moment we spent with you, every laugh, every tear, every long talk, you were our mentor, and the keeper of our souls.

Tina, I will wrap myself in those moments whenever I most need to bask in the warm comforting memories of my better half.  For without you, I am nothing.  I will forever carry you with me, close in my heart, for the rest of my life.

Until I see you again;  Non Ti Mente Cara.

Your eternal sister, Jane

*NOTE :  Christine, (Tina), Olivia donated her eyes to the EYE-BNAK FOR SIGHT RESTORATION, INC.  In appreciation of the cornea donation, the Eye-Bank presented to Jane Olivia, the New York State’s Gift of Life Medal of Honor on March 30, 2006.  The tribute consists of a bronze ‘Gift of Life Medal’ and two lapel pins.  The medal can be added to a headstone or held as a keepsake..  All of the medals are engraved with a beautiful maple tree, a symbol of life, and New York State’s official tree.

Jane lives in New York.  I met her accidentally when I dialed a wrong number a few months ago.  She was grieving for her sister and despondent over her loss.  Perhaps the wrong number wasn’t an accident after all.  I do not believe in ‘coincidences’.

Janice Bumbalough Marler

poetrybyjan@aol.com

I write for a Christian newspaper ‘My Walk With Jesus’

www.mywalkwithjesus.net