| I am taking a side jaunt in my writing today to write a | | | | consultant, admiring the beautiful pieces of artwork on |
| memory of a truly special woman that I had the honor | | | | her walls and thinking, "Well, she must be financially |
| to know. | | | | successful to have such a largess of beautiful |
| I first met Naava Piatka when I was in a course called | | | | artwork." Whereupon I looked at the signatures to find |
| The Wisdom Course. It was through a company called | | | | out the artists' name, and noticed it was her own. |
| Landmark Education and the course was about having | | | | At which point I thought, "Is there anything this woman |
| the highest form of Wisdom- Fun, Play, and Ease-in | | | | does NOT do- and do well?" |
| your life. The course required that we create | | | | I read Naava's obituary yesterday and realized that I |
| 'playgroups.' And so Naava opened her home and | | | | knew about 1/8 of all that she had done and |
| provided heartfelt hospitality for her group. I was | | | | accomplished in her time on this earth. And most of |
| actually not in Naava's group. But the warmth she | | | | what she did was to the betterment or enlightenment |
| provided, as well as the inspiration I felt from her, had | | | | of mankind. So that to me, Naava achieved the two |
| me come many times so that I begin to feel that this | | | | very highest objectives one can achieve on this earth |
| group was my second group- and I belonged fully. | | | | 1) to live your dreams, fulfill all of your potential, and |
| I remember being in Naava's house and hearing about | | | | love your life and 2) To help others to do the same. |
| her one woman show,"BETTER DON'T TALK!" and | | | | Naava died of cancer a few days ago. She left behind |
| thinking 'Wow, what an inspiration.' Clearly she was | | | | the book that she had written in the last few months |
| living her dreams, loving her life, and being successful at | | | | of life when she knew she was passing. It was the |
| it. I felt humbled, for I, an actress and singer in my | | | | one undone thing on her 'bucket list' and so she did it. |
| bones and soul, had never truly actualized on that | | | | The book, called "NO GOODBYES", is a father |
| potential. | | | | daughter memoir about love, war, and resurrection. |
| Naava's show was about the life of her holocaust | | | | Goodbye, lovely Naava,and may your presence |
| surviving/ actress mother. It was powerful and | | | | emanate from each of us that you touched, and each |
| meaningful- so even more inspiring to me. In person | | | | of us that you will touch. Let us, like you, fulfill on the |
| Naava was a warm, generous, smiling presence- who | | | | same possibility of life... |
| emanated no sense of self-accolades or ego about | | | | And then pass it on to others. |
| what she did. And I remember, as a former art | | | | |