Connections.......

When I was 13 years old my Grand Mere passed away. Meme Levesque and my mom were very close. I remember that I was very blessed to have had the opportunity to spend time with the two of them; we took a few road trips to visit my mothers’ sister “Cookie” in Hawkesbury Ontario. I also one time had the incredible pleasure of sleeping at her house, “just me”.

By today’s standards it does not seem like a big deal for a child to sleep at grandmas, but for us it was. It also was a big deal considering the fact that my extended family is huge. I drank tea with Meme Rose and stayed up late enough to watch Johnny Carson with her. That night I talked her ears off… in fact at one point she told me shut up ! hahahah  But what I remember the most about that night was that I remember telling her that I didn’t want her to ever die.

She humoured my comment by asking me why. I distinctly remember telling her that she wasn’t allowed to die because my mom’s heart would break and die without her mom. She told me that I was a silly child, and that all people die, that it was a normal part of life. She then told me that a mother can’t ever die, they just go away.

The week of the funeral my mother had a “visit” from a rabbit, for one whole week this beautiful tamed rabbit decided to set up camp in our yard. It was never afraid of us as we approached it. Even before my mother had the chance to say anything I believed in my heart that the rabbit was my meme giving us the sign she was fine.

A few years back I was in a London hospital fighting for my life. I was very close to death. My sister will tell you every time she left the hospital for any reason she would see this little brown rabbit just sitting in the grass looking at her. Meme was giving my family the sign she was taking care of me and I was going to be fine.

One of my best friends Peg died 2 days after I was released from the hospital. The night before she died she called me from Palliative Care to tell me she loved me, and that she would always let me know she was here with me…….well when things are tough for me I find a white feather, I look up and say Thanks Peg as, I with all my heart believe she sent it to me to let me know that everything will be fine…

While I lived in Sarnia almost every single day I sat at the water front and watched the geese/ducks go about their daily routine of eating bread and walking around. For some strange reason the sight and sound of a Canadian Goose thrills me. When I hear them honk I pretend they are communicating with me. 

When I first moved back to Tecumseh I was worried about not having “my spot” to enjoy my moment each morning with “my geese”. My concern was quickly settled when at 8:05 pm a flock of geese flew over my home. I was standing on the deck when my heart burst with joy as I heard the music of my geese. I busted out in tears. The sound….. breath taking. Each night since then at exactly 8:05 pm literally hundreds of geese fly over my home, not to mention the several smaller flocks that fly over my house through out the day. On occasion I make eye contact with one, the intensity that I feel …well it’s like someone is trying to communicate with me. I feel honoured and blessed that I have this connection to this bird.

Of course me telling you this may make me sound crazy and my children would probably agree with you. Every time I see the geese anywhere, I say hello Mr. Goose or I break out into the “I want a golden goose “ song from my favourite childhood movie Will Wonka. They laugh at me and tell me how much they hate my love for this stupid bird, but…… and with me there is always a but… I know that there will come a time in their life when I will no longer be here, that they will always think of me when they see a Canadian Goose, and hopefully they will feel comforted knowing that I may in fact be sending them a sign that not only am I fine but they will be fine as well.

In life we find our selves busy beyond normalcy, with our jobs, kids, social events  etc… I think many of us forget to stop and make a connection with simple things. Taking the time to pull over and view a glorious sun set, or stare at a simple natural sight can actually fill you with contentment and peace. It’s true this certified crazy woman can attest to all good things in life are ours for the taking. :)