My Mom and I traveled to Saskatchewan for my Aunt Margaret’s funeral. I have learned a lot about death this month. Mostly, it has been confirmed to me that there is more after this life and I feel so strongly about that. I am grateful that families and relationships don’t just end here on earth. Do I know this for a fact? No, I don’t. However, do you have to know everything about electricity to use and enjoy its power? What I know about death and families I feel in my heart because some truths must be felt with the heart and not seen with the eyes.
My Grandma was born in Saskatchewan and the farm she grew up on is currently owned and worked by my cousin. The farm has been in the family for over 100 years. I think that is amazing.
My Mom and I flew to Calgary and then caught a propeller plane to Regina, Saskatchewan. It was cold for us desert dwellers like coldest middle of the winter cold.
What is wrong with Canadians and Europeans? ICE IS NOT A LUXURY. They have Biscoff now for a snack on the plane! YUMMO. So one loss and one win. There was snow on the ground isn’t it beautiful? It isn’t something we get to see much in Arizona. I love how the farms look like a patchwork quilt.
The service for Aunt Margaret was lovely. I was thinking while I was there….I have only met my cousins a few times. I don’t really know them but we greeted each other warmly with hugs. What if we greeted people like they were our family? What if we saw people with our hearts? Although, the distance was great and we don’t get to see each other very often it didn’t matter. We were family. That is a gift. There was kindness, warmth, and love all around. After the funeral we went to lunch and later that night we went out to the farm for Canadian Thanksgiving.
Here is what I see in my minds eye driving out to the farm. You take the road out of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan for about a twenty minute drive. The road is straight and the sun is bright. The sky was clear and blue. It was a crisp Fall afternoon and on either side of you are fields of gold. There are occasional Canadian Geese flying and Hawks. We saw a hawk swoop down into the golden field its talon in front of it with its fresh catch of the day. The golden fields go as far as the eye can see where the sky meets the land. It is wide open on either side of you. There are bales of hay in the field, dotted here and there. It reminds me of a Van Gogh painting. There is no street name or address to the farm, we turn down a dirt road and drive past three farms. The farm is sheltered by brush to protect the house from snow. The house has been renovated but it is the original. I kept thinking Grandma ran around here when she was little. I could see her in my minds eye in a white cotton dress with a doll in hand. Although, this was not my childhood home I felt the roots that had been set there and was proud that in some small way I belonged to it too.
We had an amazing meal on the golden prairie farm and enjoyed getting reacquainted. It was fun!
Our cute, sweet, Aunt Marjorie and Mom.
Mom and Uncle Bill (Her Brother)
McIntyre-Spence Clan
I think one thing our family shares is an appreciation for cool cars and trucks. I was sitting in the back seat and snapped this picture of Mom and Bill. Gosh, I sure wish he and his kids lived closer to us! It was so fun visiting with him but my heart tugged when we had to say good-bye. We had a great day on Sunday with Bill and he helped us with the Briggs tradition of bringing back enough Canadian candy to take your suitcase from 20 pounds to 50! This is a CLEAR memory I have as a child. If ANYONE in the family was headed to Canada it was their duty to bring back treats for ALL of us. There are several treats that are ingrained in the memory of my childhood: black licorice and Macintosh’s carmels! Yum. That is literally the taste of my childhood. I am sure my cousins will agree!
As I listened to Mom and Bill reminisce I was again just so grateful for family AND a family that really loves each other and loves to be together.
A lesson I learned from Bill:
He said, “I’ll tell you why I like old cars.
I understand them.
They need some special attention.
With new cars you have nothing to do..they are just already done they are boring.”
And I thought, You know….this could also apply to women…ha. Classic cars and classic women.
It was General Conference this weekend and before we met the family for lunch Mom and I went to the local chapel to watch the Sunday morning session. It was wonderful and a really nice way to start the day. We had tried to get it on cable in our hotel room but they did not have it and then we tried to get it on our phone but the wifi wasn’t great and our phones were running on 3G due to being “international.”
I come from prairie farm roots it is in my blood. My Grandpa was a Canadian Mountie who raised an amazing family on a farm with Grandma at his side. They are some of the best people I know and love. It was wonderful spending time with Grandma’s side of the family to get to know them and love them too. Families are forever. At least, my heart tells me they are.
XOXO- The Sunny D—I feel the urge to plant something…