December 1, 2023
When Ann’s husband died in 2009, she thought she’d never come out of her depression. He passed away at 93. He was her best friend, her confidante, her golf partner. With him gone, life seemed to lack purpose. Her youngest son Mark, who lived with her, saw how much her grief was crippling her and finally said, “Mom, Dad’s not coming back, and we have to make the best of it. I love you and you love me, and we will get through this. We may never get over it, but we’ll get through it.” Then, he told her to “get out and play some golf.” And she did.
She did more than that. She got involved with her church and started teaching children in CCD. She took on other projects, and in 2016, she received a medal from the archbishop for her service, and her town of Orange honored her as one of its “Living Treasures.”
Ann has a motto that she lives by: “If you keep on playing, you won’t get old, but if you stop playing, you will get old.” However, she eventually had to stop playing golf, but at 96, she replaced her time on the links with other activities. She leads exercise classes for seniors four days a week. She also goes to daily Mass. She’s an inspiration for other seniors … and for everyone who has suffered a loss or who think their life is over after someone they loved dies.
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When we lose someone in old age, we may think there is no future. But if you look, the future may surprise you.
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