Who inspires you? I am fortunate to have many inspirational people in my life, and today I would like to share some inspiration from my Aunt Ruth.

We had to say our final goodbyes to Aunt Ruth this week, and as family and friends gathered to celebrate her life, we were again inspired by her strength.

As a child, she suffered from polio which affected one of her legs and required her to wear a brace to walk. She dealt with heart disease and multiple surgeries with complicated recoveries. She beat cancer after going through agonizing treatment. She lived with and lost her leg to diabetes – her strong leg, not the one weakened by polio.

Yet, when the world tried to knock Aunt Ruth down, she didn’t wallow in her problems. She quickly recalibrated and intentionally chose to be happy. She wasn’t putting on a strong façade for the external world to see. At her core, this is who she was – someone who enjoyed life, despite its obstacles, and kept on smiling.

So here are some inspirational lessons I learned from Aunt Ruth that I wanted to share with you:

Be Grateful: No matter what challenges she faced, Aunt Ruth expressed gratitude for what she had. So what if she had cancer and the treatment was awful? She was grateful to wear some fun wigs and try out new styles when her hair fell out.

Be Generous: Whether it was with her checkbook or her time, Aunt Ruth generously supported others in need. She volunteered for many organizations and took on leadership roles, even when working a full-time job. She believed in “giving back” since she had so much to be grateful for, and she positively impacted many lives with her generosity.

Be Silly: Aunt Ruth could find humor in any situation. Years after her leg was amputated, she fell and broke her other leg and then joked that she “didn’t have a leg to stand on.” Every conversation with her was filled with laughter as she chose not to take life too seriously.

So, some food for thought this week, courtesy of Aunt Ruth:

• How might you find gratitude in the face of challenges?
• In what ways could you give back to positively impact others?
• What opportunities do you have to inject some silliness into your life?

Wishing you the best!