Jaye Furlong O'Brien, 64, sits at the gathering table with her Mom and Dad, (Marjorie and Donovan Furlong), and many dear friends and relatives past. On November 25th Jaye offered her final breath of love to Larry, Adam, Nathan, Daniel, and Emmett, her beloved siblings and extended families.

Complications from chemotherapy won the day during her long and courageous fight with Breast Cancer. She hit that 5 percent chance though, making one last trip home with her family through her faith in Christ. She sampled her favorite dessert and some cranberry on her last Thanksgiving meal but Jesus was her true banquet in life.

Jaye was what her mother called a "house plant" or what today's generation would call a homebody. She enjoyed listening to music, family game nights, spontaneous gatherings and movie nights. Although she did not drink, she could never refuse a well-crafted fruity and refreshing strawberry daiquiri, especially those made by her brother-in-law, Dan. She was gifted in calligraphy, drawing, painting, and finding moments in the day to relax and play solitaire within the chaos of raising four boys.

Jaye passed her creative talents down to her sons and made the brave decision to go back to school in her early 40s. She successfully gained a master's degree in Counseling at SUNY Oswego and lent her attentive ear to troubled students in primary, middle, and high school, youth in prison, and those seeking a better life for themselves at Harpers Ferry Job Corps in West Virginia.

As her final days ticked past, she wanted to watch the movie "The Bucket List" one last time. It may have been to enjoy one last family movie night or to check off her own list in her head as her time grew shorter.

She did witness something truly majestic- her husband Larry cleaning the cat litter "correctly".

She did help many complete strangers- her warm eyes drew out troubled feelings in others. But heaven help the innocent traveler seeking direction, as East and West became North then South with a smile and a (CYA) "I think" at the end.

She did laugh until she cried- recalling family stories like it was yesterday or while fast asleep in her dreams. Laughter was the frosted sugar-coating of her soul.

She did find the joy in her life- not in things obtained, but in the people sharing their stories, their appreciation, and their love.

For Jaye, the real trick to checking off a bucket list is to let go of the petty stuff, the shiny distractions, the hurt feelings, and embrace what's right in front of you. Be grateful, notice the little things taken for granted, and find a way back to your younger self, when you were full of awe and wonder at it all.

There will be no calling hours for Jaye. Her service will be in the spring after we welcome her first grandchild into the world.

Contributions in her memory can be made to the Child Advocacy Center of Oswego County, 163 South First Street, Oswego, NY 13069.

Arrangements are in the care of the Dain-Cullinan Funeral Home.