Renewing A Sense Of Wonder

Spring in Newfoundland

Spring is a time of renewal — and part of that is about renewing a sense of wonder in nature. Of course, some of that is wondering why the hell it still snows in April.

Mom was big on getting us out in nature. It was always close by: our back yard backed onto the woods with a brook running through it; the beach was no more than a 10 minute walk away; a visit to a family farm; skating on a local pond. The accessibility of nature is one of the best things about living in a small town, especially on the coast. I spent too much of my adult life in big cities and was only too happy to move back to the Best Coast of Newfoundland.

After a long, hard winter (aren’t they all?) it’s refreshing even to simply walk my neighbourhood and pick wild flowers in the green spaces — or ditch bouquets as I call them…daisies were mom’s favourite flower.

Mom’s descendants are her legacy, so I am trying to practice living life the way she taught us.

A Difficult Anniversary

Mom died on April 10th, 2023, a little after 3am. April’s not an easy month for us kids and grandkids. Last year Cassie was stress-eating so much of her kids' easter chocolate that it made her youngest kid cry, of course she went out and bought more.

We spent April taking care of mom and trying to hold our shit together despite watching her rapidly spiral downwards. Mom was already extremely sick when she was first diagnosed with cancer and by the time she received her terminal prognosis there was no time for her to process the fact that she was dying. All we could do was manage her pain and fear with medication, care and constant company; her children never left her alone and we had each others’ backs…like she taught us.