Merry Christmas

This is Jo-Anne and her husband in the mid-80’s, we were at the CKCK Radio (Regina) Christmas party. I remember that night, we had a lot of fun with friends. It also reminds me of a fun story I’ll tell you in a couple of minutes.

It’s early on Christmas morning 2022, kids are asleep, Ziggy and me keeping each other warm as our day begins. Jo-Anne has been gone for a little over one month, and the emotions remain raw. It’s also true that a 40-year conversation suddenly struck silent makes for lonely days. I am grateful for our years, enormously sad they ended and complelely aware that I was a lucky man to have been with such a fine person through the heart of my time here.

The year 2023 was such a good one leading into fall. Both kids found jobs they loved and people they enjoyed working with, and I got my book published. When I told Jo-Anne the publisher wanted to know if I planned to dedicate the book, she said I should honour my Mom. I did, plus Jo-Anne and the kids. It pleased her when she saw the book, and remains one of my favourite memories.

The kids miss their Mom terribly, even as they continue to do the things that made her so proud of them. We all find work to be a welcome relief from the reminders of home, I hope the days to come allow us to feel at home in the house we raised our children in. We want to thank the doctors, nurses and staff at Sturgeon Hospital in St. Albert and Foothills in Calgary for their wonderful care.

Thanks to everyone who reached out to our family in these last days, it meant the world to us and has helped us in the healing process.

Now, the story. The night that photo was taken, we had tickets booked for Mazatlan in early January. It was difficult to get Jo-Anne to commit to going, despite her love for warm weather, tequila and dancing. She told me “take Gord” referring to my friend of several years. Now I liked Gord, but the idea of spending time on the beach with him had less appeal than taking my wife on a vacation that involved many new things.

Jo-Anne had never flown on a plane, gone through customs, owned a passport. I’d flown only once before, and both of us had to get our first passports. We were new to the traveling experience.

So, we get on the plane, and she loves it! We arrive in Puerto Vallarta (you had to get off the plane to clear customs, then fly to Mazatlan) and we’re sitting in a small open-air bus, and she smiles, then laughs and says “can we get an extra week?” as I sat there stunned from the quick turnaround. She had a wonderful time in Mazatlan, the only downbeat was the flight home. We went back, next time to Puerto Vallarta and then Cancun twice, all in the years leading up to our children being born. My most vivid memories of that trip are Jo-Anne not wanting to leave, first Regina, and then Mexico. Makes me smile thinking about her sitting on our luggage at the airport, in the pose of “The Thinker” contemplating the weather that waited for her.

I miss her terribly, but if she were here today, she’d say “edit this before you publish” followed by “take care of yourself and the kids” and I will do my best to take care of the kids. In truth, it’s likely to be them taking care of me this Christmas, and maybe that’s the way it should be now.

I always end the Christmas post with a word about spending time with your family, and after this year double that and double it again. Thanks so much for the outpouring of sympathy and good thoughts.

If you’d like to do something for Jo-Anne, you can enjoy her favourite day. She was all about Christmas and family. Bless you and your family today. Merry Christmas!