Hudson woman had little time for complaints

By Stephanie Hayes, Times Staff Writer
In print: Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Story Tools E-mail this story Contact the editor Print this story Comment on this story Social Bookmarking [+] Digg Facebook Stumbleupon Reddit Del.icio.us Newsvine

ADVERTISEMENT

HUDSON — A letter to the editor riled Genevieve Zadrozny.

A reader wrote to the newspaper in 2005, calling Tampa's airport a "zoo." He said his elderly relative had trouble getting through security. Mrs. Zadrozny fired back her own letter.

Re: Airport security is a sham, letter, July 2.

On June 22, I flew to Chicago from Tampa International Airport. I'm 88 years old, walk with a cane and use a wheelchair. I never make any comments or complaints, and I'm treated very nicely. I make a lot of trips, visiting my children who work in different states.

Life is short. Enjoy each day and don't complain.

• • •

Here's how she enjoyed each day:

Laying in the sun with her sister, slathered with baby oil, turning brown.

Learning to drive before her father or her husband.

Teaching them both.

Taking her three daughters to Miami Beach from their home in Chicago each summer.

Asking them to move away from home so she could have places to visit.

Fantasizing of driving an 18-wheeler and chatting on a CB.

Cooking three meals a day and washing every piece of food, even ground beef.

Loading her dishwasher with every dish facing the same way.

Ironing everything, even her husband's underwear.

Teaching her Polish in-laws to speak English.

Informing husband Stanley they were moving to Florida after a terrible Chicago snowstorm.

Managing the family's finances and putting her husband on a budget, complete with an allowance.

Snuggling him, kissing his ear and holding his hand to the point their daughters quipped, "Get a room."

Sitting on Hudson Beach, near her home, to watch the sunset.

Bowling, golfing, gardening, seeing plays and dinner theater shows.

Watching Chicago Cubs games on television and rooting for pitcher Carlos Zambrano.

Talking her grandchildren through their problems on the phone.

Hitting Las Vegas twice a year to play the slots and watch interesting people walk around.

Calling herself 35 years old when she was 60.

Calling herself 60 when she was 90.

Commenting about how those "senior citizens" drove.

Not dwelling on hard times when they came along.

Pushing and pushing through congestive heart failure until Saturday, when she died. She was 91.

Stephanie Hayes can be reached at shayes@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8857.