A Difficult Day

Although yesterday was amazing, I came home to some very difficult news. My grandmother passed away yesterday while I was in Seattle. Her health has been rapidly declining over the past few months and she was very much at peace with leaving this world. She was the most amazing woman and I had the privilege of being her granddaughter.

I spent spring break last month back in the Thunder Bay. I took my little boys for a visit with their great grandmother. Not many kids are lucky enough to have that opportunity.

I can't describe the ache that I am feeling right now. I know that what I am feeling is very selfish as she is no longer in any pain, but I will miss her more than words can express.

It is strange how connected we are to people who we care about... I had just stepped out of the conference room yesterday for a coffee when I felt the pressing urge to call my parents who were with my grandma in Ontario. My father told me lastnight that I called as my grandmother took her last breath. My parents didn't tell me when I called as they said my grandmother would have never forgiven them for telling me then. She always worried about all of us before anything else. I do have one source of comfort in all of this... my grandfather passed away when I was five years old, and for the past 29 years I have listened to my grandma talk about "papa" like a love struck teenager. He was the love of her life and they are finally together again.

This is one of the wonderful pictures I was able to get while I was in Thunder Bay in March.