These two ordinary people were extraordinarily resilient... and I love them

I lost two grandparents this week and I'd like to dedicate this Monday's Remote and Resilient to sharing a bit of their story. They were ordinary people who showed up with extraordinary love. Despite the many tragic circumstances in their lives, they continued to bounce back and flourish.

My grandfather, Yosa (on my mom’s side), was always smiling bright and optimistic. He was a man of few words but whenever we'd speak he made sure to tell me that I was good, to ask how my family was, and to say “hello" to everyone from him. He loved watermelon, long walks, getting lost, and playing dominos. He was born in Ukraine and evacuated to Tajikistan during the war. His mother could not feed all her children so she was forced to put him into an orphanage during the war. When he grew up he joined the navy and repaired planes, then became a carpenter, and after immigrating to the US, became a shoe repair man. He would pick me up from elementary school and I would spend my afternoons with him and my grandma in their shoe repair and alteration shop, helping them sweep up and greet customers.

My grandmother, Frida (on my dad’s side), passed on Saturday, a few days after Yosa. She’s always been a fighter. After giving birth to my father, she went blind and was told to never have children again. She recovered her sight and regained her health and had my aunt, anyway. She grew up in Tashkent, Uzbekistan as one of eight siblings. During the earthquake of 1966, her family was left homeless. She immigrated in ’79 to Brooklyn, NY and dedicated herself to being a wife and grandma. She made the best ploff, crepes, and rugelach. She enjoyed company, listening to songs in Yiddish, and watching music concerts. Her husband, Sasha, my grandfather, died when I was 13, and it just wasn’t the same since then. She got to travel to Paris, Israel, and Prague in her later years. She was eventually diagnosed with Parkinson’s. Whenever I’d visit her with my daughter, Linor, she’d always have a gift and cookies hidden in various trays ready for her.

My grandfather, Yosa, caught COVID-19 in a rehab/nursing home facility. My grandmother was ill at home and being treated there with an infection. She avoided going to the hospital and then could not recover once she was admitted. Whether she had COVID is tbd. My family could not be there with my grandparents when they died. But thanks to nurses, they were able to FaceTime them. Only 10 people were allowed to attend each funeral.

I’m immensely grateful to the frontline healthcare workers who sacrifice so much and held the hands of my grandparents when we couldn’t.

It brings me great relief and peace to know that my grandparents are no longer suffering. They deserve to rest.

Many people have been asking me, "what can I do?" If you'd like to do something to honor their memory, please consider giving to any charity or No Kid Hungry - to feed the 1 in 7 kids who don't have enough to eat in America.

Best,
Stella

What am I doing to make meaning out of all this?

In the past three weeks I've co-founded a volunteer effort to support the mental and emotional wellbeing of frontline healthcare workers. If you know any doctors, nurses, or medical workers who could use some support, send them to The Hero Hotline, where they can simply book a FREE 25 minute resilience coaching session by either me or 50+ other exceptional coaches.

Stella Grizont founded Woopaah because life is too precious to be bored or miserable behind the desk.

As a speaker and executive coach, Stella Grizont works with overachievers who are seeking deeper career fulfillment and with organizations who are dedicated to elevating the well-being of their employees.

In the last 15 years, Stella has coached over 1,600 individuals in over 27 countries. Some of Stella's corporate clients include Google, Johnson & Johnson, VMWare, and Genentech.

Her unique approach to being happier and more engaged on the job has been featured on MSNBC, The Today Show, NPR, Entrepreneur, and Vanity Fair. Stella was one of the first 150 people in the world to earn a master in Applied Positive Psychology (aka the science of happiness) from the University of Pennsylvania.

She lives in New Jersey with her husband and daughter, who continue to teach her what life is all about.

Want to work with Stella? Let's chat.