I have been avoiding a follow-up post to an entry I wote a few weeks ago, titled This Old House. It was the sad story of a house that fell into disrepair and the old couple that suddenly moved out.

Less than ten days after writing that post, the house sold and since then there has been a steady stream of trucks and construction workers parked outside.

The truth is, I avoided following-up because I didn't think the story line was all that shiny. It felt cold and harsh.

Life marches on.

One day you're in, the next day you're out.

Out with the old, in with the new....

And then on Tuesday, January 24, Ruby - a family friend - died. And because of Ruby my entire perspective on that old house changed.

Ruby was almost 95 and she lived the kind of life most of us can only dream about.

She was smart, funny, fiesty, and so intent on living life fully that she advocated for herself and her medical care up until the very end.

For the past couple of weeks a steady stream of people have stopped by Ruby's room to visit.  She has seen friends; relatives who traveled in from great distances; neighbors she has helped over the years; kids she's babysat; and friends of her daughter's, who because of the person Ruby was, were immediately welcomed into her inner circle of friendship.

Like the old house, it is true that one day Ruby was here and now, suddenly, she is gone. It's also true that, while the sadness of her family and friends is profound, life does march on.

But here's what else is true: While Ruby's passing has left a lingering void in my heart and mind, the sadness is competing for space with happier, more uplifting, feelings.  I feel truly in awe of the full, rich life Ruby lived and I feel inspired and motivated to do it half as well as she did. She left a legacy of stories, friends, memories, and enough love to carry those she left behind until they meet again.

The same can be said for that old house.

I like to think of that old house as the backdrop for countless stories, the gathering place for friends and family, the cozy set for cherished memories, and a place where the love for their children could be nurtured. In a sense, it was the vessel through which one family's life story could be told and now it is time for another family to move in and create something new.

So instead of looking back and being sad, we will celebrate that old house for the memories it has left behind and the memories it will host in the future. We will do it in the same way we celebrate the memories Ruby has left behind and all the ways her story will inspire us in the future.

Here's to you, Ruby. May 22, 1917 - January 24, 2012.