An Owl and the Olive Capital

Sjoekje just sent in the words she expressed at Alice's funeral yesterday. Thanks, Sjoekje. Here they are:

"This is a personal first for me. Spoke at many events, not one like this. When I was asked to speak today, I didn’t think I had the strength to do so. In true Chahinian fashion, her brother Haig was so encouraging and supportive. It goes to show that many of Alice’s positive attributes are inherited through her family.

Alice would be so incredibly honored to have such an event as today. She would give us all a big, "YEA!" She would humbly express her love and gratitude to everyone.

What I am most grateful for was her visiting my parents. Alice and I grew up, literally, just a couple of miles apart and didn’t know it until college. She would shout out at college parties (each and every college party) across the room, "Sook we’re neighbors!"

The first time she came over to my parent’s house, was a great first impression. My parents have this huge fan (like from home depot...gigantic) that sits on the floor and that you can have it tilt up to the ceiling. It was by the front door, and when she walked in, it blew her skirt straight up! She screamed and laughed and my parents got such a big kick out of her. She knew that I was unable to see my parents as often as they would like to see me, so she totally pinched hit for me and became a regular guest. She would visit them on the way to seeing her mother. She would bring them a basket of fruit and would have a conversation with them for hours. She would tell me how "wise" my parents were and how she cherished their advice to give her some insight into her own relationships with others. She enlightened me into what I took for granted in my own family. It seems like my parents did the same for her.

One time, Vicky Garcia and I went to Lindsay (the Olive Capital of California) for Vicky Haas’ graduation. (A little back story) Those of you may not know that whenever Vicky Garcia is in the car with me, it’s like the animal magnet. Vicky and I have had run away horses coming for us, Big Bucks (like the Ring 2), mice and cows. Well, now we are in the car with Alice, driving back, listening to Alice’s Justin Timberlake CD and this owl’s huge wing brushed against the windshield of her jeep. We are all instantly screaming, followed by tears of laughter. (It was like it was out of the movie "The Sweetest Thing") Every moment was an adventure with Alice, you never knew what to expect.

Alice loved nature and it always gravitated towards her. As a matter of fact, I noticed that there was a bird’s nest in the eaves of the chapel outside the window and there are three birds with red chests fluttering about. There’s actually one looking as if it’s trying to peek in and get into the chapel.

Alice was very conscious about living a healthy lifestyle. She was very active, jogging, shooting hoops, riding her bike, roller blading. We were all looking in one direction with her in terms of health and fitness. What we all didn’t see was something like this coming.

Alice, in her own wisdom has taught us all to look at every direction in life. I can just imagine Alice, in all her excitement, seeing things that we can only imagine in heaven. Seeing colors that humans have never seen. Talking with ancestors that she has never met. Continuing to love and laugh and make everyone up there "laugh contagiously" with her. I’m a jealous that they get to have her now, but she deserves such an ornate, loving world without war, stress, pain, bills, rent... other things that frustrated her in life.

She will continue to touch all of our lives from this day forward.

Take the parts of Alice that you loved and live it."