Thanks to the many notes, thoughts and prayers on the recent death of my Mum, Audrey George Shapcott. Every one is appreciated, noted and has been nourishing. Her final days were not entirely peaceful - she struggled with a surgery that didnt go as planned, and with an infection that eventually grew to take her life. But I am grateful for a Canadian (and Quebec) health care system in which the struggles were around quality of care, and not about payment before even the most modest care would be administered. Thanks to the medical staff at CHUS-Hotel Dieu in Sherbrooke, especially the nurses, for helping to ease the final days. A big thanks to my sister Sue Shapcott, who was with my Mum through her ups and downs, especially since her stroke in the early part of the summer. Sues friend Kitty was also a big support, not just to my Mum but also to Sue and the rest of us. Love consists not simply of grand gestures, but the pragmatic tasks of daily life such as taking in the mail and feeding Mums cat. All of this was so much appreciated, not just by my Mum, who was so English in insisting that no one make a bother, but by all of us. Thanks, Sue and Kitty! I have many memories - some only half-remembered - of my Mum. As a teenager, I couldnt wait to get out of the family home and start my life as a rookie newspaper reporter at a small Northern Ontario daily. The love of words, the thrill of a good story - all accentuated by the thunder of the huge press as it rolled to life and rumbled throughout the entire building - this got my blood pumping as I chased big stories in a small town. All this was instilled in me by my Mum at a very early age. She was trained as a school teacher but became a full-time mother to six energetic children. Her love of words and books was passed on to me at a very early age. One of my earliest memories is that my first kindergarten teacher, whom I recall was cross with my Mum because I was able to read long before any of my classmates. This was apparently considered a bad thing, but I have always found comfort and enlightenment in words, and am so pleased that my two children share a love of the world through reading. So, thanks to Mum for giving me such a great start. You had a busy life taking care of others and I know that there were times that were less than happy. My wish for you, as you move into the light perpetual, is that peace and joy and love surround you.
Posted on: Sat, 20 Dec 2014 16:20:34 +0000
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