Greattastic Life Special Edition: For Shana

 Greattastic Life Special Edition: For Shana

Shana Marie Savage was born to Bev and Jack Savage on June 22, 1979. Her siblings, Bob, Sandra, Mellisa, and her younger sister Cyndi, were some of her closest friends. Growing up Shana was caring, fun loving and artistic, she loved animals and to paint and draw.

Shana was best friends with a girl named Angie throughout all of high school. They graduated in 1997. During her senior year, Angie found out that she was pregnant and Shana was a huge support for her throughout the pregnancy. Angie was not the only person in Shana’s life who was expecting a baby that year. Her sister, Sandra, my mom, was pregnant with me.

Now, my initial plan for the Greattastic Life Special Edition installments was to describe the lives of people in my life who passed away before they met me. This is an exception to that outline. See Shana was my favorite aunt growing up.

Two years before I was born, Dad started Kobolt. As a young married couple who were starting a new business, suddenly being parents, added a few complications. Specifically child care. Shana filled that void. She would take me pretty much anywhere she went. I spent a lot of my time, during my first few years of life with Shana and her college friends, going on playdates with Angie’s daughter, Zoe, and most prominently, at the mall.

On what feels like a daily basis (though in reality it was probably weekly), Shana would take me to Tuttle mall and we would spend hours there! I would play on the indoor play ground, which at the time was food themed, we would eat pizza by the slice, and she gave me so much sugar! My second memory ever is of Shana, giving me one of those huge cookie sandwiches, with the icing in the middle, and her making me swear not to tell my parents.

Shana had a lot of personal struggles. By around 2011, Shana wasn't really coming around. I published The Greattastic Adventures: Miracle Child in 2021, and so at that point the aunt that I knew, had been dead for about 10 years. Because of that, Cyndi took on the narrative role of my favorite aunt in that book (and in the majority of my other writings), since we had gotten closer over that decade.

The day that I post this installment May 15th, 2026, is the same day that Paige and I get married. I'm literally uploading this installment in both forms, brushing my teeth, grabbing my regular clothes (my tux is at my parents’ house) and leaving the apartment, and I will not be back until Paige and I are married. As I said in the trailer for this installment, it was a complete coincidence that Paige and my wedding will be on Shana’s one year anniversary of death. I know that Shana understands, but I feel a little guilty for how I have depicted her in my writings. I kinda just hid her away because she wasn't who she used to be and it made me sad. So to make up for that I am dedicating our wedding day to Shana, and all of those who we have loved and lost who got Paige and I here.

Have a Greattastic day and be safe!

J. Mitchie Ulibarri, SBT (it’s crazy that that’s the last time I'm saying that before I’m married * screams in excitement*) 

Rules For A Greattastic Life Season 9 Vol. 2 will be out soon!