In life, loss is inevitable, the pain, confusion and change happens with or without approval, with the challenge of finding the way back to happiness.
For Ada Hale, an 83-year old retired business woman living in Roseville most recently promoted to Great-Great-Grandma, loss came to her quickly at a young age. The realization set in that life was going to be different then she imagined.
“I was 23 and married with three daughters and all I ever wanted was to be a mother and wife. I had my happily ever after and it was taken from me,” said Hale.
In heartbreak she moved on quickly and made a decision to remarry. She had two more children and then lost her second husband to depression. Hale found herself with five children to raise alone.
By her thirties, loss was something Hale accepted. And it kept coming. At 43, she lost her oldest son Stevie to his battle with depression. He was 19.
Hale soon turned into a shell.
“For years I was empty but I needed to turn it around. I had living children who needed a mother and I wasn’t that for them. I started going to CoDA (Codependents Anonymous) meetings and realized how negative my thoughts were and that if I could live this low that I had the power to turn my thoughts around back to happiness,” Hale recalls with a sense of power.
With time, the power of wanting to live overpowered the mental state of staying in a place of depression and loss with no control. There are always different paths to happiness and understanding with acceptance having to be the first step.
Losing someone hurts differently depending on the relationship. Sometimes it is a lesson learned.
Gallery of Images from Ada Hale’s Life
Ada’s Family in moments of gratitude and happiness in life.
My son Steven as a baby. 
Steven, my Late son, forever 19. 
My First Family, before Loss. My oldest daughter Terry still has her father’s jacket from this photo. 
My boyfriend, Raymond. God blessed me with another Love. 
My Great-Great-Grandson leveled me up in greatness, made my daughter a great grandmother and my granddaughter a grandmother. 
Great Granddaughter playing Volleyball for her school team. 
My granddaughters supporting their sisters comedy dreams. 
Meeting the comedians after a fabulous comedy show. 
Words of Love and affirmation to my granddaughter following her dreams. 
Taking a walk in old Sacramento realizing the beauty in the moment. 
My Book I wrote in grief. Divine Appointments by: Ada Hale. 
Enjoying books that help along life’s journey. 
When you’re looking for an answer and it’s right there “Divine timing.” 
When you’re down, you can use your power to change. And sometimes the reminder is right there out the window “A future you can count on.”
Ada Hale Commercial
In loss, Ada was able to move forward and acted in a commercial. This ad was for Maximum Strength Sine-Aid, a sinus pressure over-the-counter medication.
View the video on YouTube here.
Local comedians find coping in laughs
Comedian Greg Paul reflects on losing his childhood friend while they were in grade school.
“After losing my friend, I realized life is short and you should tell people how you feel and live everyday to the fullest,” said Paul.
Not everybody has lived with grief long enough to not feel guilty in seeing the light in their own life again.
When speaking to a Delta alum and comedian Gabriel Alexander thoughts of a close cousin bring up feelings of guilt and realization that grief is still thick and present.
“You know what, I haven’t gotten past him dying and I don’t think I ever will. I lost my cousin in a violent way and it still bothers me mentally,” Gabriel said.
Ada Hale refused to let loss hold her down mentally, moving forward to live a life full of happiness that she would not have found if she did not use her power to change.
