Thursday June 26: A Celebration of Life

After settling in at Coboconk last Sunday evening, we received word that my mom had passed away earlier that day. It was not unexpected news as she had been failing for some time. Yet somehow it was still a surprise.

After a phone call to Wendy (she's our computer/internet service when we have none!), we found the rental agencies within boat range were all sold out of cars for the next day, Monday. Not sure when the funeral would be, not sure what to do. Steve called Cheryl (they were still in Orillia). She said – give her 30 minutes.

In that 30 minutes after taking control, she made arrangements for family members to drive Cheryl's car from their home near Midland to the Port of Orillia. Then Peter, Cheryl and Lois all made the drive to Coboconk (about an hour) to bring us their car. All of this between 10 and midnight or so. We've not yet figured out how to repay their generosity of the use of their car.

The trip back to Ohio and the next few days were filled with conversations and celebrations of my mom's life. It wasn't hard to recall the good times as there were so many. In a way it was appropriate that we were traveling on the Trent when she died as the times we spent up here every summer for many years - traveling together on our boats - as Wendy and Becky were growing up were some of our fondest memories.

Seeing so many relatives and friends – some of whom we hadn't seen for quite some time - made for a bittersweet trip home. My niece's son described the gathering at calling hours as “a party for Grandma”!

I think he was right. I figure she's already played a good 36 holes by now …....