A woman of joy and optimism:#1 ('chara' in Greek): +Mama Jele (1915-2002).

                                 +Mama Jele (1915-2002) from Dubrovnik, Croatia.

Bernard Shaw, the great English writer once said in 1931: "If you are looking for heaven on earth, go to Dubrovnik." I agree. I visited this city for the first time in 1986 and was the guest of Mama Jele, the mother of a friend of mine. I found a touch of heaven on earth.  Mama Jele, as I lovingly called her, was an impeccable hostess, so wonderfully affectionate she made me blush each morning with her hugs and kisses. Here is a photo of her on her 85th birthday 10 years ago. Born on the same May day as my mother, she shared a common bluntness and witty humor
that embarrassed her own son. In this beautiful walled city on the Adriatic coast, Mama and her son would spend an hour chatting and laughing before I descended into the kitchen. Breakfast was never rushed - our spirits were refreshed as our bodies were nourished. Then we went to the beach while Mama prepared lunch. Confined to her house and little garden, she never complained of her ailments, genuinely enjoying our company each summer. Her days were etched with praying many rosaries with her sister Clara, entertaining an endless flow of visitors
and awaiting our return home. Mama was a consummate cook, having worked
for many years in Cafe de la Ville. The smell of her Mediterranean dishes wafted on the sea breeze as we returned late in the evening. I can still hear her jokes in Italian, German and her native tongue, Croatian. I can still picture her infectious laughter. Mama lived through 7 different Administrations without ever leaving Dubrovnik:Austro-Hungarian Empire, Kingdom of Yugoslavia, 'Independent State' of Croatia during World War II, the Italian occupation, the German occupation, Communist Yugoslavia and finally, the Republic of Croatia.
She learnt patience and time, both of which I find in short supply. But more.
She had gratitude for everything - for what life gave and took away. She learnt how to live on life's own terms and took suffering into the bargain. She tasted its loss and loneliness. I grew in admiration of her life and struggles as I gradually got to know her. She taught me the most important lesson in life: "to live from a grateful heart, a heart that cannot be shriveled small, because it has been broken, widened and filled with all the joys and sorrows a life can hold." The wisdom of her grateful heart echoes in that whimsical Croatian expression she often used: "Nema problema!" ("No problem!")                   +In memoriam+ Mama Jele.