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Dora was a very happy person,
very happy, even in times of great difficulty...
because she came to Italy after the war
at a time of economic hardship.
She certainly would have endured hunger and cold
but she was always very happy.
I had lovely times with her,
and not only at work; we shared many pleasant moments.
We went for walks, and we barbecued.
We also had good times together
because she liked soccer
and we watched many Italian soccer matches together.
She rooted for Italy.
She was Spanish, but she really liked the Italian team,
because she had spent so many years here and she loved Italy.
When did you meet Dora?
I met her in 1973
and I was with her for about 21 years,
during which time we lived through some amazing moments together.
The first impresson...
Right away I was struck by
the way she worked and her bearing at work.
She took care of the housework,
the laundry, and especially the ironing.
In addition she was a good cook, and made delicious dishes
because she was very skilled.
She worked with a lot of energy.
I noticed
that she was capable of maintaining a constant rhythm in her work,
the same in the first hours of the morning
as later in the day
when she had to have been very tired.
She paid careful attention to every detail when she worked
and didn't do anything thoughtlessly or haphazardly.
Another thing that I noticed was how professional she was;
she always worked with impressive serenity
and when something unexpected happened,
for example, if a plate broke,
she knew how to take care of the problem
while still finishing her job right on schedule
in spite of all the extra effort involved.
This way of working, that is to say, with cheerfulness,
with serenity, with an effort to do things properly,
she taught to people all over the world
because people came to her kitchen
from all over the world
and consequently the lessons of her good example have been taught everywhere.
Innovation
Another thing which stood out about her--
I should add that
when I met her she was 59 years old
and I worked with her until she turned 80--
and during that period of her life
I saw that she was very openminded,
very up to date on the new products available in her professional field,
both appliances and supplies.
She often wanted me to do very specific market research
to figure out how to improve her own work,
while at the same time thinking about the others who would come after her
to do that job,
so that it would be easier and more cost effective.
Personal Contribution
In order to understand the way she was, I'd like to emphasize that
she didn't do the housework as if she were an employee
who punches a timeclock, finishes her work, and goes home.
She made it her own: it was her house and she was always available.
She was also very attentive to the needs of the people around her.
She did this because she loved her specific vocation in Opus Dei
of creating a family atmosphere, which God wanted,
and which He showed to St. Josemaria,
so that the Centers of Opus Dei would be just that: family homes.
What can we learn from Dora?
She left behind a very beautiful message of truth,
although I will say again that she knew how to live a happy life
in any circumstances, and without a doubt this was because
she was so faithful to St. Josemaria's idea
that it is possible to achieve holiness in any professional work,
that to sanctify ourselves in our professional work leads us to look for God there
and so to live a full and happy life.
Her last hours
Initially, of course, I was very sad
because I loved Dora
and had so much affection for her.
But later I was very happy, because I realized that she had now accomplished
what she had been striving for all her life,
and I should tell you something that was particularly moving
and also very consoling-and I've never seen this happen with any one else:
Just as the funeral was about to begin,
while the organ was playing
her favorite music,
all the many people who were there were serene and smiling.
Outside of the ordinary
She was proud of what she did,
and although her dedication might seem a little out of the ordinary to some,
it seems to me that her message
is a beautiful one for our time:
Value the work that you do.
Dora's message
Dora, by her work,
created a family atmosphere for those around her
and doing this, right now, is of crucial importance--
because generally now people--mothers themselves--are less and less in the home,
and they don't pay much attention to the work of making a home.
Therefore her message is when we do this work done professionally
-mothers included--
We can provide a warm and caring environment for the whole family.