Joan Marie McKenna

          As I sat down to write this, I thought to myself how can I possibly find the words to deliver not only the message I hope to get across but the words that also express exactly how I feel. And then it hit me. My nanny loved to tell stories whether it was simply through conversation or creatively through song. It’s like she knew a little jingle for just about every occasion. I have always had a strong connection with music and the way a melody can dance its way into your heart if you really pay attention to the lyrics. Music has a unique way of telling a story and can be incredibly relatable to so many of us as we attempt to get through what this life throws at us. With this in mind, I thought it’d be appropriate to speak with the help of some song lyrics on behalf of my nanny’s passion for the art that is music. For starters, I think our family thinks of her as the center of our world. Everything comes back to her. Like the sun lighting up our darkest days. “she is our sunshine”. She was always incredibly selfless, worrying about everyone else’s troubles and pain before her own. She’d pray for all of us every chance she had even though she was the one fighting day in and day out, from diabetes to cardiomyopathy and neuropathy yet she still found every reason to smile, to sing, to be in love with life. She was brave yet humble. Strong yet gentle. Isn’t it Ironic how medically, a woman with such a weak heart could hold so much love inside for those around her? And that’s just it, love is undeniably the answer to all of our questions. It is bigger than all of us and my nanny knew this to be true. The lesson we could all learn from her would best be summed up and simply put through the words of one of my favorite songs by Florida Georgia line: “we’ve got to get back to believing that love is the answer and music is healing.” 

          There’s a little picture frame sitting on a table next to the front door in my nanny’s house. The picture is of my siblings and me on Christmas Day and if you click the button it plays the song “all you need is love by the Beatles.” My poppy and I have a tradition of clicking it every time before we say goodbye and I can’t say enough how true it is. All you need is love. I don’t know how my poppy did what he did for my nanny in the months following her unfair, rapid decline as it is not only painful to watch a loved one go through such a tragedy but I do know that it takes one hell of a man to consistently remain true to the vow “in sickness and in health. “ his strength and unconditional love never came up empty as a husband and a caregiver. I can only hope to marry a man as amazing and resilient as my poppy one day. It is clear that love is the force that holds all of our broken pieces together. although I am not sure how we will get through the loss of someone who is synonymous with the very meaning of love itself but I do know that it is this love that will gently carry us through the waves of the mourning process. We cannot stop the waves from coming but we can learn how to surf. 

          I think it is relieving for all of us to know that she is without pain now and there is no more suffering. Just a beautiful soul who can spread her wings. Don’t you worry Nanny, “heavens got a plan for you” and I hope it takes you straight to Disney world! We love you so much and we are incredibly lucky and blessed to have had you in our lives and now as an angel watching over us. Thank you for teaching us what it is to love and to be loved back. For teaching us to always give more than we take and that family is forever. Thank you for believing in all of us. And most of all nanny, I think I speak for all of my siblings when I say we are eternally grateful for you giving us the gift that is our amazing mom. We promise to do right by you and take care of her always. When people we love are stolen from us, the way to have them live on is to never stop loving them. We love you so much Nanny, there is a piece of you living in all of our hearts and in our favorite songs, keep singing and rest easy angel.

Visitation - Tuesday April 17th, 2-4:30 & 7-9:30 p.m.. at our West Sayville location, 245 Montauk Hwy. West Sayville, NY.

Chapel Service - 8:00 p.m. Tuesday April 17th at the Funeral Home.

Entombment - Pinelawn Memorial Park