The spotlight is on Sheilah in this sixth installment of my A Woman I Know series. My weekly link up post is published on Saturdays and, during every month, I cycle through four recurring themes, a different one designated for each week. On the occasion when there is a fifth Saturday in the month, I publish this special feature. You can get caught up on the past features about Amy, Joya, Cathy, Bernice, and Josephine by clicking on their names.
Sheilah is the long-time girlfriend/steady/companion (or whatever the kids are calling it these days) of my late father-in-law’s cousin, Jerry. Sheilah and Jerry have each been widowed for over 20 years and they’ve been together since meeting about 17 years ago. The first time that I met her must have been a few months after she and Jerry had started to date. Over the years I’ve admired Sheilah’s zest for life, her helpfulness, and her fashion sense.
Instead of sending Sheilah a set of questions to answer, she and I made plans to get together one evening recently so that I could interview her. We had such a good time chatting and sharing stories back and forth that if it hadn’t been a work night, she and I would have likely continued talking until the wee hours of the morning.
For context, I’ll tell you that Sheilah will be turning 75 in November but she’s the epitome of the phrase “years young” when referring to a person’s age. She works out at her gym for one to two hours three times a week, enjoying both aerobic-type group classes and strength training. She walks on off days and has recently decided to start training for a 1/2 marathon that she’ll run in April. During our chatting, I found out that Sheilah loves to dance and she’s quite excited about joining me in an upcoming class at the studio where I tap dance.
Sheilah also told me that exercising helps to take away her pain, both literally and figuratively. She finds being active exciting, thrilling, and challenging and loves how it makes her feel alive and empowered. Keeping herself in good health is another motivating factor for her to stay active because she enjoys spending time with her children and grandchildren.
Amongst all of her passions, there are two organizations that are near and dear to her heart. The first one is Connecting To Cure Crohn’s & Colitis and the other is The Painted Turtle, which provides a camp experience for children with chronic illness. Besides her involvement in fundraising, Sheilah has also served as a volunteer camp counselor and her commitment to these causes is born out of her real-life experiences. One of Sheilah’s sons has been living with Crohn’s for 40 years ever since being diagnosed with it as a child. It was his involvement in these organizations and a desire to help others that spurred her interest to volunteer.
One of the questions I’d asked Sheilah was “what had she wanted to be when she grew up?”. Besides joking that she hadn’t grown up yet, she said that she didn’t really have a specific plan but she now knows that she’s a people person. When she looks back on the times when she’s been the happiest, it’s been when she is working with people and helping them.
I’ve already mentioned that Sheilah is a widow. Her husband’s death was very unexpected and had occurred the day before the 6.7 Northridge earthquake in 1994. The epicenter of this earthquake was about 6 miles from her home (mine too but in the opposite direction). Suddenly, Sheilah found herself not only grieving the loss of her husband but also having to deal with the challenges of getting her home repaired. Life became lonely and empty for her and with the loss of her husband’s income, Sheilah was gripped with fear of losing her home until she finally put pencil to paper and took stock of her situation.
Her re-entry into dating just kind of happened. Sheilah had been too busy with the repairs to her house, working at three jobs, and looking after the health issues of two of her children to even think about meeting someone. About a year after the tragedy, she was at a bar mitzvah and a man she didn’t know asked her to dance. At the end of the evening, he asked for her phone number and they started to see each other.
Jerry came into her life a few years later when she was planning a kitchen remodel and asked the cabinet guy for a referral of a past job he had done so that she could evaluate his work. The referral was Jerry who conveniently lived down the street from her. Initially, Sheilah only thought of Jerry as a helpful neighbor but eventually, they grew to know each other better. They still maintain separate homes, each enjoying the freedom that allows them in making their own decisions about the appearance of their respective abodes.
Quite the world traveler, Sheilah enjoys looking for adventures that will challenge her, and not surprisingly, she says that she likes to try new things. Some of her favorite trips included touring an old Jewish town in Morroco, digging for artifacts in Israel, cave climbing, and an air balloon ride in Egypt. On her wish list is to visit an animal sanctuary in South Africa and a trip to Poland to see the concentration camps.
Sheilah believes that travel makes you more understanding about people. By learning about other cultures, she feels that she has gained valuable insight into their customs and has learned that being different isn’t a bad thing. When meeting new people, Sheilah told me that she tries to find a way to connect with a person’s soul and that she’s found that kindness goes a long way in building those connections.
When the topic under discussion turned to fashion, I asked Sheilah to describe her style. The first thing she said was “I hate old lady clothes and shoes”. She likes younger-looking styles and because she is of petite stature, she can even find clothing options in the children’s departments. Sheilah is however mindful about camouflaging areas that she has deemed to be problematic. She is a diehard in-store shopper, no online purchasing for her and she is crazy about thrifting. I think I’ve found a new shopping buddy.
As our conversation was winding down, I asked Sheilah about the lessons that her life experiences have taught her. In our chatting, we had touched on a number of topics that I’ve not shared in this post but we both agreed that nobody is without some loss or tragedy in their life. Sheilah told me that she’s learned that “this too shall pass” and that “time marches on even if you think that you’re not ready for it” are unavoidable truths. She also told me “always smile and keep laughing … fake it if necessary”.
Let’s Wrap This Up
Now, onto the Fine-Whatever link up for this week. My featured contributor from last week’s link-up is Nancy from the blog Nancy’s Fashion Style. Her post has rekindled my desire for a pair of leather leggings (faux or otherwise). And how brilliant of Nancy to recycle a “not quite right for her” tee into corset-like bandeau that she has worn on top of a white tunic.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this brief introduction to a truly fabulous woman. December is the next month with a fifth Saturday and I already have another awesome woman in the queue to introduce to you. However, I’m still mapping out my A Woman I Know posts for 2018 so be warned my thus far untapped friends and family, I may soon be calling to ask you for a favor. Please consider saying yes.
Let’s connect! Subscribe, tweet, follow, friend, love, pin … all options are available and waiting for you. I look forward to hearing from you. And don’t forget to add a post or two to the link-up.
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33 Comments
So wonderful to read about Sheila. I loved her comment about not liking older ladies clothes. I feel the same way. I often wonder if I will ever stop shopping the misses department and move into the women’s dept., but then I look at those clothes and think “Nah”. 🙂
Amy, I’m glad you enjoyed reading about Sheilah and I know what you mean by not wanting to shop in the women’s department. I still shop in stores that cater to the younger set but I’m careful to pick the more sophisticated styles.
What a lovely friendship! You are blessed!
Thank you, Carrie.
Oh Rena, what a lovely post! Sheilah is the true example of you never what kind of fabulous lies within the person who may be standing right next to you. I love meeting new people..especially people like Sheilah..even if it is only a virtual introduction. She is the kind of woman that I like to have in my circle. Kind, caring, energetic, happy, empowering, and a true survivor. Thank you so much for sharing her story with us. You are so blessed to have so many amazing women around you!
Shelbee
http://www.shelbeeontheeedge.com
Shelbee, thank you for telling me how much you liked this post. I knew that Sheilah was especial when I asked to feature her but I too learned a whole lot more about the hows and whys after interviewing her.
It’s so fun to meet the influential women in your life, Rena!!
Our friends really make us better people!!
XOOX
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
You’re so right, Jodie. I’m very glad that you like these features.
Sheilah is an exceptionally dynamic woman and is a perfect example of living fully despite age or circumstances (loss of a spouse) that stop so many of us from continuiing to participate in the risks and adventure of living. Here is a woman to admire, emulate and treasure. I love that last photo of you two! 🙂
Jude, she is a strong and feisty woman. I hope her story will encourage other women to live their lives as fully as possible.
I could not believe she is turning 75! Wow she looks awesome and it is so nice that you guys made an evening out of it!
http://the-wardrobe-stylist.com/2017/09/25/healthy-lifestyle-tips/
Rania, I agree that it’s hard to believe that she’ll be 75 but what a great example of how young you can still be at that age.
What a surprise on this beautiful Sunny Sunday! Thank you Rena!
And what a active woman Sheela is. She has had her share of life and had the strenght to make the best of it! Strong woman!
You are most welcome, Nancy. I’m glad that you also see that Sheilah is indeed a woman to admire.
I always enjoy your posts in this series so much! Sheilah sounds like a wonderful woman. Thanks for introducing her to us!
And thanks for the link up! Hope you are having a great weekend.
Thank you, Andrea, for letting me know how much you’ve enjoyed these features and this recent one on Sheilah.
wow Rena, I really enjoyed reading about Sheila! She is truly active in life!! so interesting to hear of her interests, activites and places she wants to travel. i do agree that if you are exposed to more of the world, you can develop a broader understanding of people. Love the fashion respnonse, no old lady clothes! i do some thrift shopping online via poshmark, so i imagine store thrifting to be fun too.
Have a great day!
jess xx
http://www.elegantlydressedandstylish.com
Jess, I’m so glad that you enjoyed reading about Sheilah. She’s a great role model to look up to for the many reasons you listed.
What a terrific woman – I really enjoyed reading about her life. She’s a true inspiration to those of us who may fear aging. thanks for linking up, and for hosting too! xox
-Patti
http://notdeadyetstyle.com
Patti, she certainly does dispel many of the fears of aging by her example. It’s always a joy to spend time with her.
She is so inspiring, and incredibly stylish! I like that she is still true to her personal style and despite her hardships in life doesn’t let it get her down. A beautiful lady to feature!
Hope you have had a good weekend! I’m currently enjoying the long weekend as it’s a public holiday today in Brisbane 🙂
Away From The Blue Blog
I’m glad to hear that you also found Sheilah to be a great source of inspiration, Mica. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.
Thanks so much for sharing this lovely read. Thanks also for the link-up. x Jacqui
http://www.mummabstylish.com
You’re welcome, Jacqui. And thank you for letting me know that you stopped by.
I’m pretty sure, that I wrote this before, but I’m going to do it again. This is very lovely idea to write about women in your life that means something special to you. o)
Anna
http://www.glamadventure.com
Anna, thank you for letting me know that you’re enjoying these posts.
What an inspirational post and attitude about life!
Thank you, Jennie. I’m glad you liked the feature and reading about Sheilah.
Wow! What a great post! I love seeing people that live how they feel, not just by the number of their age.
Julie, you’re so right and Sheilah is such a fabulous example of how to do that. Thanks for letting me know that you enjoyed the post.
I love this post! It so nice to get to know wonderful ladies that we would other wise never get to know. Thanks for sharing!
Cheryl
https://www.northwestmountainliving.com
I really enjoyed reading about Sheilah! Such an inspirational lady, and hard to believe that she’s almost 75! I hope I’m that active when I’m her age. Keeping mind and body active along with a positive attitude makes a massive difference. Thanks for sharing at Style With a Smile!
Emma xxx
http://www.style-splash.com
I would like to thank Rena for doing such a super write up and picture taking (by Mark her husband) for the blog she did on me. I truly felt honored by her request. I would also like to thank all of you for commenting on the blog and was really touched by your very kind and gracious comments.