Reflections

Saturday morning dawned with the most spectacular sunrise, it was going to be the perfect fall weekend. Temperatures were forecast as bearable and the sun was very strong. After your collective kick in the arse, I got ready to go out for my run.

After many pleasant interruptions, either phone calls from friends or canvasser's at the door. I headed out. My neighbour was coming up my lane with his fuzzy little black dog in tow. Mike is clinically deaf so I have to wave and do my attempt at sign language, which always make him laugh...he is just so funny, he is my neighbour who wears the construction helmet when the acorns are falling. He is an absolute hoot. His wife is just as much fun.

Mike was on his way to tell me that a very good friend of ours (his uncle by marriage) was found dead on his dock.

It was crushing news for me.

As I came to terms with this, Mike stepped forward to hug me while I cried and tried to make sense of it all. Apparently our friend wanted to take his boat out for a spin up the river one last time before winter set in. He made it to the dock, collapsed and died. At least he was headed off to do something he loved and had happy thoughts, died quickly and is now with his late wife, looking down at all of us probably saying something like..."why the tears, I'm happy, I'm with Mon again, it is a nice day, now get out and do something productive".

Mike left me as I told him I needed to run to sort all of this out...and run I did, no garmin, no route, not even proper hydration (well a small bottle of PowerAid) and I ran. It was an odd run, with people stopping me as they were driving by. They shared their stories, their thoughts, their love of this man who had opened up his home to me when I separated from my significant other. He would not allow me to spend a Christmas, a Thanksgiving, a beautiful summer's night by myself. He ploughed out my driveway when we had the Ice Storm.

He and his wife knew that I was battling not only major health issues but the loss of a long time relationship...they would not allow me to be alone during special occasions. Both he and his late wife were very special to me.

My run went on and on and on. I laughed at some of the funny memories, I cried at the sad and because there were so many people out on such a glorious fall day wanting to stop and talk with me. I headed into the bush to run on the trails.

I had to run uninterrupted...I yelled to the trees at the top of my lungs and I prayed.

Today is the memorial for a really kind, gentle man who was getting on with his life after the loss of his beloved wife. He had found a new lady who truly loved him, they spent all their time together, they travelled, they blended families...they were happy...now it is time for me to be happy that he lived his life exactly the way it was meant to be and that his purpose on earth is now complete.

Life's fun if you don't weaken,

Lily