Dear sis,

I want to share a few thoughts and stories about my weekend.   It is also Mother’s Day.  “Happy Mothers Day to you sis.   I know exactly how much you love being a mom.”

It was so wonderful, that I got to FaceTime today with you, Samantha and Carter.    You looked really good Karen.   Your eyes were open.  I could see you looking right at me.  It was truly amazing !!

Kerri arrived early Friday evening, via ferry.    It was a very spontaneous, less than 24 hours, that we shared.    When I picked her up at 5:30pm, we went straight out to the Lake.  I had two paddle boards packed up, a picnic dinner ready to go and there a few other girlfriends who were meeting us there.

This was a new lake to me.  I absolutely fell in love with it.  So quiet.    We were the only ones on the lake except for a small group of young kids – 18ish – at the small beach right next to us.

As we ladies – 7 of us – got on our boards and pushed away from shore,  Kerri was getting herself up slowly.    It was only her second time on a SUP.    We were all encouraging her.  Even the young kids on the beach started yelling, “Come on Kerri, you can do it !!” When she got up, they all clapped.

As everyone quieted down, it was so peaceful and you could hear every word on that lake.    It was then when I heard a couple of the young girls in the group on the beach say, ” Look at them…aren’t they so cute?” lol so I asked the ladies, “Did they just call us cute?”  I think it was Judith who said, “Yes Kathy, they did.  Just like we call older people cute.  We are now the older “cute”.”

The old of the young and the young of the old…that is who we are 🙂

The next day Kerri and I decided to hike Mount Benson.  I have lived on the Island for 12 years and I have never done this hike.    It is a difficult climb, straight up.   It is my Grouse Grind – that I often did weekly in Vancouver – but minus the thousand humans !!!   We were so close to the top (30 min or so)  and unfortunately we had to turn around because Kerri had a ferry to catch.   But that did not take away from the amazing morning we shared together.   We  had lunch, great conversation and all with a beautiful view.

As Kerri and I were hiking, I asked her, “By the way, when I wrote about your mom in my last blog, I could not remember….did you bring the wine or did she have it there?”

Not only did she answer my question, she added….

“She buys the wine and ensures there is a new bottle of wine (always the same one with a screw top) even if last one did not get finished.  She also waits for us on her floor by the elevator for our arrival.    She always reminds Laura to serve the dessert’s with serviettes (Kerri noted….”is that even a word anymore?”) Every visit, I sit comfortably on the floor and every visit she offers her chair….and she will never have a dessert because she has always already brushed and flossed her teeth.”

Loved hearing those additional details.

Kerri boarded the 3:30pm ferry post hike on the Saturday.  My evening continued on over at Wendy’s with several good friends.   One who was celebrating the beginning of a new journey – new home, new life – and another leaving next weekend for a month to travel Vietnam with her daughter, who resides out of Province attending University.     We sat in the beautiful sunshine,  drank yummy Veuve Champagne, ate lots of cheese and for dessert we ate homemade strawberry rhubarb crumble with Haagen-Dazs ice cream.   I had two full bowls that evening 🙂 Karen, do you recall how every summer mom would make strawberry and rhubarb pie with the rhubarb fresh out of our garden ??  Dad was the cook in our family but mom was definately an expert with desserts / pies / squares ect.  Just like you were xo

As I am typing this I just received a text from your daughter Samantha.  She and Carter just returned from visiting you.  This is such perfect timing for this Mother’s Day blog.    Her words are always so heartfelt.   She has such a beautiful way of expressing herself.   So does Carter.   He too has such a big heart.

When Carter was a young boy, he was always helping you out.  Especially when you got diagnosed with this disease.

I will always remember you lying on the couch and Carter covering you up with a blanket.     Often you would fall down – this damn disease made you lose your balance – and Carter was always there offering his hand to help you up.   He was only 8 years old.

With both their permission, I asked them if I could blog,what Sam,  just texted to me…these are her words….

“Honestly Auntie Kathy, it was such a good visit today, I can’t even explain it.   My mom seemed so much more alert, she was nodding her head and shaking it when we talked to her and asked questions and her blinking was better and even her movement was stronger than her blinking.   Carter is so sweet with her, I can’t even explain it.  He washed her face and dabbed a cold towel on her face because she seemed hot.  Then he put lotion on her face because her skin was dry.  Then he put lotion on her feet and gave her a foot massage.  Then he was going to put lotion on her hands but she acknowledged that is was hurting her hands when she tried to move them.  Then he wanted to brush her teeth but that’s a little more cautious because the water and tooth paste going into her mouth we couldn’t suction her, so then he put Vaseline on her lips, it was honestly just so heart warming. She was so aware and present with our conversations and what was going on it was great.   Carter gave her a little spa day.  It was a perfect Mother’s Day.”

Your kids are truly amazing Karen…they love you so much.    I will always ensure that they know how much you love them.

 

I am now finishing this up a few days later.  So sorry as I really wanted to get this out on Mother’s Day.    Starting next week, I have a busy couple of weeks.    For nine days my schedule is basically Victoria, Vancouver, Whistler, Vancouver, Nanaimo, Victoria, Nanaimo, Vancouver lol seriously all in 9 days!!!  Not too sure how that happened…..fuuuuuuuck lol I just want to stay home !!! 🙂

Sis, I know you had heartfelt day with your kids.      I absolutely LOVE that Carter gave you a personal spa day.  What an amazing gift !!  You certainly can’t put a dollar value to that.  But then again the most beautiful things in life you can’t.

So wonderful to see you so aware Karen.    What a beautiful gift you gave us all on that day.

Thinking of you always.

Looking forward to FaceTime soon.

I love you sis,

Kathy xo

 

PS.  Karen, I absolutely love, how Jean, our 90 year old volunteer friend from St. Vincent’s, stays in touch.    She calls me every few weeks with an update.   Her messages are all so detailed.   The last one was approximately 7 minutes long 🙂

She always starts off by stating her full name with her telephone number.  “It’s Jean Carole speaking and I just wanted to let you know that I have been faithfully visiting Karen.  Today we went to mass and on Monday I will take her to Bingo.  Once she won (laughter) but we are not always lucky winners.”

“We read things she likes….like Judge Judy…I have a book of her questions…if she agrees with Judge Judy, she will respond by me putting my finger between her thumb and finger and she can squeeze.  But now it is her eyes, she can blink them more now…close her eyes for a no signal and flickers them up and down and she can move them side to side. I thought you would be interested in this.”

So many details.   How fortunate are we to have a Jean in our lives.

 

.

 

pps.

I had a great Mother’s Day with Jenna…we spent some time together in the afternoon and had some Gelato.  Mine was the Salted Chocolate and Mint Gelato 🙂  hers was the healthier version of lemon and grapefruit 🙂  Pic of she and I was from last year – her graduation day from Elementary school.   She is now just finishing her first year of high school.