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Somewhere, Somehow, Sylvia Must Be “Kvelling”
If not, I’m doing it on her behalf.
Sylvia is one of “my old ladies” — a group of much-older friends I’ve talked and written about who, in their 90s and 100s, give me a preview of aging and an understanding of what it takes to live until you die.
Sylvia died three weeks before her 98th birthday, in the throes of planning a gala party for herself. It was an annual event. This one was going to be at Ball & Chain, a throwback jazz club in Miami’s “little Havana.” She, who loved to dance, had a friend video her as she stood in the mostly empty restaurant, auditioning the Cuban trio.
Always on the lookout for a reason to celebrate, Sylvia was my role model for social engagement — the elixir or life. She made connecting look effortless and relished the rewards.
In 2018, she invited me to a book party she threw for her daughter Dr. Dale Atkins, a psychologist, and Sylvia’s granddaughter Amanda, a social worker. The two collaborated on The Kindness Advantage: Cultivating Compassionate and Connected Children…
