An Ending, A Beginning, Easter And Finally Spring

On April 11, 2014 my long time friend James Richard McKeown died.  Jim had been in my life for 37 years.  He offered me a  safe harbour during a very stormy time in my life, Cottage 29 at Edgewater Beach in Haliburton.  He was a grounds keeper and Jack of all trades at this establishment.  I was running, I just realized how often I use that term "running, I spent a lot of years from my teens to about 40 years old running, this time from an abusive relationship with someone in Hamilton as well as an extremely abusive affair with substance abuse.  Jim became my friend, for a while my lover, as well as a substitute Father to my young adult children, particularly my 15 year old daughter, who I live with today.  Jim, somehow I hope you know you know the words that my children spoke, wrote, felt, when they learned of your death.

On April 18th, one week later my latest great grandchild was born.  His name is Jeremy Rush MacCharles.  It probably is a fantasy, but wouldn't it be wonderful if part of Jim's soul resided in that baby.  I have four children and from them 13 biological grandchildren.  From these 13 grandchildren I have 9 biological great grandchildren.  This is not counting children from my second marriage, my stepchildren. a term I don't like and very seldom use anymore.  They are all my children and their children are my grandchildren.  I have a Mother's Day Card sitting on my computer desk from Linda, the youngest of my step children.  For years now we have been Mother and Daughter.  Perhaps in my next post I will post her poem to me from years ago.  This poem means so much to me that I keep it where I see it anytime.

Then it was Easter.  A busy time, not so much for me but for my family.  they were off to spend Good Friday with Dennis's Mother and Grandmother.  This lady, the grandmother, had her 102nd birthday in April.  We had Easter Dinner here at home, turkey, gravey stuffing and all the stuff that goes into a family dinner.  During April my Grandson James, named for the now deceased Jim, turned 31 on April the 13th, my granddaughter Laura also turned 30 and my youngest grandchild turned 18 on the 7th.  An eventful month, filled with lots of love and some loss,  And today May the 7th is my Grand Daughter in law s birthday as well as my Grandson "Rusty Roy, My Darling Boy" 30th birthday.  His birthday always signifies springs beginning for me.