Page 9 - KC Cunningham Issue

Woman of Distinction

Honoring Inspirational Seniors

By Esther Alameddin

Tiny, But Mighty

As we approached the checkout counter of a craft store many lives wherever she worked. Students whom she had
recently, my 82 year old mother asked her standard request. taught in the first or second grades would stay in touch with
“Do you give a Senior Discount?” her through adulthood, and even invite her to their homes
“No Senior Discount,” the sales lady replied, “but we do offer when they had families of their own.
a Wisdom Discount”. Raya worked as an elementary school teacher and adminis-
I don’t need to mention that the Wisdom Discount was trator in New York for 24 years, until she was sent to Russia
received with much enthusiasm. And it made me realize as a missionary. “I was excited to have the opportunity to
that rarely does society have a positive depiction of Senior return to my country,” Raya recalls. While there, she was
Citizens. How many of us have laughed about our “senior able to open schools and train teachers who had never been
moments?” And just the mention of the word geriatric con- allowed to talk about God openly in the former Soviet Union.
jures up mental At age 70, Raya
images of the returned to the
feeble and the United States,
frail. a proud grand-
Despite that, mother of two little
many mature girls. Although
women are pow- she retired at that
erful role mod- time, she has
els. These ladies never stopped
are the inspira- working. Active
tion for this seg- in her church and
ment of "Women community, Raya San Diego Woman
of Distinction." seems to attract
Read on to find foreign neighbors
out how three and friends. Her
senior ladies teaching instincts 9
are impacting have kicked in,
the people with and the retired
whom they come Mrs. Abadir has
in contact. been voluntarily
teaching English
Tiny, But Mighty classes in her
Born in Rus- neighborhood for
sia, and world- over six years.
traveled, I have Then, at the age
always believed there was nothing my mother, Raya Abadir of 78, Raya underwent open heart surgery. It was a turning
could not do. At age 16 she was supporting herself and her point for her and her family. But even spending more than
ailing mother after escaping Russia to come to a new coun- two months in the hospital couldn’t slow down this tiny giant.
try. At age 25, with no formal college education, she started “I made friends with all the workers,” she jokes. “I think they
a school to teach English in Iran. And at age 60, while made me stay there so long because they liked having me
raising three children as a single mother, she completed her around!”
Master’s Degree in Educational Administration. But more than that, Raya found another opportunity to vol-
To look at her, you would not consider Raya a gi- unteer during her stay at Scripps Memorial Hospital. “I help
ant: She barely reaches four and a half feet in height and with filing in the Cardiac Treatment Center,” she says. “The
is nicknamed “Grandma Tiny” by all who know her. Yet, her nurses there were so wonderful to me when I was recovering
accomplishments are huge. How can anyone explain the from my surgery. I love working with them now.”
success she has had in life? So, does Raya have any exciting new adventures in her fu-
“I can’t really take credit for my life and career,” Raya ture? “I starred in my granddaughter’s high school video this
says, “I trusted God to lead me to do whatever needed to be year,” she says, “that was fun.” Maybe an Emmy is up next
done.” It has always been obvious that my mom touched for this Grammy?
March/April 2010