Grandad

Yesterday was a day of remembrance for the United States and much of the free world. I volunteered to post a remembrance, and was a assigned the name of a young man I had never met. It was much more difficult to write a tribute to someone I didn’t personally know, than I thought it would be. But I did my best. And having done so, felt like I had done something to bring the events of 9/11 to a more personal level. I read quite a few of the Blogger 2996 tributes. Sadly I had one commenter yesterday who had a negative opinion of my tribute. I know, that what I wrote was heartfelt. If it came across as insincere or shallow, then I apologize. It was not my intention to offend. I don’t claim to be a great poet. But I refuse to be ashamed of my attempt to do something good and decent.

Today I would like to post a remembrance of someone who I did know.
Someone very close to my heart, who passed from this world a few hours after the impact of 9/11 was just sinking in.
My Grandfather, John Raymond Whalley. Left these earthly bounds, for a better place in the wee hours of September 12th, 2001.
He had been suffering the effects of a very bad stroke for a few weeks, and that night he slipped away.
I’ve had a lot of guilt around his passing. I wasn’t there with him. I had been in to see him almost every day of his hospitalization. But the events of the morning of the 11th had me riveted to my TV. I thought, Ill go see him tomorrow. For my Grandfather, tomorrow never came. He died alone. The terrorists took that moment from us. He was unconscious, and perhaps, wouldn’t have even been aware of my presence. I never got a call from the doctor or nurses to say he had begun to decline, more rapidly. I guess, they were also caught up in the days’ news events. I don’t blame them. We were all out of sorts that day.
I take comfort in knowing that he was a big part of my life for 36 years prior to his death.
As a small child, he nurtured in me, an appreciation of nature. He tried to cultivate in me, an eye for beauty. Whether in art or in the world around us. He taught me to see through the eyes of an artist. We would lie in the park and watch cloud formations. We would walk in the fallen leaves and listen to the ‘music' of the autumn. I remember him listening to symphonies on CBC radio with his eyes shut, his hands conducting the invisible orchestra.
One of his greatest legacies though, was his enormous love for his beloved Georgina, my grandma. He outlived her by more than fifteen years. Not a day went by that he didn’t recount some story of their lives together. When he went , I know he had peace in his soul as he had looked for many years, to that day that he would once again walk with her. Just a few days ago, my youngest cousin delivered her first child, a baby girl. Grandad would have been delighted that she was named Georgina.

In Other News:

I had a call this evening from Keith’s aunt, who has been in Edmonton for over a week. She told me that Kayla has developed a bit of an infection in her leg and has been in quite a bit of pain. At the same time she is still doing well as far as mobilizing. She has had a total of 8 blood transfusions. Her surgery was only a few days after her last chemo treatment, and her counts always crash a few days after. She is getting stronger again and is able to do her school work. I know all your thoughts are reaching her and continue to be appreciated.

Yesterday I was surfing some 9/11 articles on the net, and I came across this very touching post. It sums up what human kindness is all about. I highly reccomend reading it.

I am off work now for a couple of days. Tomorrow Keith and I want to try to get out for a DATE! Been a while since we did that. We want to go to Vancouver to see a Bard on the Beach matinee.

Wednesday, I am going for coffee at Deanna’s! Apparently I don’t even need to milk a cow on the way over! Coffee is just a guise. I am really going to inspect her lovely husbandman’s handiwork.

My very handsome middle child, appears to have broken his nose this week. I tell you, if there is a disaster to be had, he will find a way to make sure he is in its path. He had some idiot, head butt him at a rock concert on the weekend. I think he still looks beautiful, even with a swollen nose. See? Grandad taught me to see the beauty!!!!!