To each of my parents - Thank You!

With Father’s Day upon us, I thought it might be a good opportunity to spend some time thinking about each of my parents and possibly highlighting a few of the reasons I’m grateful to know or to have known them.

I’m going to limit this to three gratitude notes for each parent. It’s hard to know who to start with first, but I’m going to go with the parents who were there the day I was born and work my way forward from there in terms of who I met next.

Mom (Linda)

I’m grateful to my mother for:

• Choosing to keep me when many tried to persuade her otherwise.

• Teaching me that love is more important than anything else in life; love is the key to everything.

• Ensuring my sister and I learned early on to be there for each other. (And for pushing post-secondary education.)

Dad (Lynden)

I’m grateful to my dad for:

• Giving me his name and choosing to be my dad.

• Being there during my many emergencies (and breakdowns).

• Recognizing I needed a change of scenery and then encouraging me to move to Kingston to live with my Bio Dad.

Stepmom (Elsie)

I’m grateful to my stepmother, who passed away in September 2022, for:

• Trying to make me comfortable when I first moved in with her and Dad at 12 years old.

• A heart-to-heart we had when I was around 20 years old - I can't express just how important that talk was for me.

• Her sage and honest, no-holds-barred advice, when asked for it, on almost any topic.

Stepdad (Jim)

I’m grateful to my stepfather, who passed away in July 2020, for:

• Teaching me to drive a riding lawnmower.

• Putting a telephone in my (and my sister’s) bedroom.

• Taking an interest in my work and pursuing conversations about things I’d written during my many years as a reporter for local newspapers.

Bio Dad (Ray)

I’m grateful to my father for:

• Welcoming me to his family and to their home when I was 18 years old.

• Making me believe I can do anything I want to do.

• Teaching me to drive a standard.

Stepmom via Bio Dad (Corrie)

I’m grateful to my stepmother for:

• Making me feel welcome in her home and as part of her family.

• Spending a LOT of time with me when I first moved to Kingston at 19 years old.

• Signing my sister Cheryl and I up for horseback riding lessons – it was a lot of fun. Also, for Andy, my Golden Retriever. (I'm not sure if it was Corrie or Dad's idea, but Andy was a true gift.)

So, to each of my parents - those still on Earth and those who have already found their way to the afterlife - thank you! Thank you for being part of my journey and for playing a significant role in my growth as a human on this planet.

Love and peace to each of you!