Those that have been reading this blog for awhile or those that know us will know that Jim's mom Tracy passed away on Easter Sunday of last year, less than two months before the birth of her newest grandson, Jordan Douglas. She was so very excited to be a grandma again and absolutely adored James. She would have been very happy to know that Jordan's middle name was chosen out of the utmost of love and respect for her late father and Jim's amazing grandfather Doug.
I did a blog post about her passing and one that was filled of photos of her life in the month after her death and have looked back on both of those posts many times since.
Anyone who knows me knows that Tracy and I were never close, and only in the previous few years had I spent any real time with her. She lived a troubled life and I often found it difficult to communicate and relate to her but I was so proud of the changes she had made in the few months before her death. She had made a choice to get sober and had made a commitment to herself and to Jim and she had stuck to it. The day she phoned to tell Jim of her new life I will never forget the extreme pride and pure joy on my husbands face. We were so excited to see the new Tracy, but sadly she died before we got the chance to do so.
Jim and Tom wanted to wait to spread her ashes until the spring following her passing and with Jim's new job taking him away for much of the time, a date was chosen over a year later, on June 22.
We headed to Nanaimo with plans to spread Tracy's ashes on a bridge around Westwood Lake where we had gathered almost 6 years before to spread her father Doug's ashes. We met Tom, the boy's Grandma, Auntie Bonnie, Bonnie's husband Greg, Jim's cousins Cody, and Dayna and Dayna's two boys and started the walk to the bridge only to discover that the water wasn't flowing enough to do it there. A new plan was made to head out to this beautiful spot Tommy knew about somewhere near Lantville. So we headed off in a caravan and met there a little bit later.
Tommy was right, this spot was beautiful and I think in the end it turned out to be absolutely perfect. I didn't expect to feel emotional but there was something about all of us being together in the water, with the tide slowly coming in, a beautiful bird next to us and the flowers floating towards us that we left for her that I found extremely peaceful and full of love and life. For many many years Tracy may not have had a lot to give to those around her other than her love, but she always did so, completely and freely.
On that day, surrounded by the people that loved and supported her most in the world, I know her spirit was felt by all of us there as we said goodbye to her.
RIP Grandma Tracy
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