Remembering Mom and Dad

 

This past week would have been Mom and Dad's 71st wedding anniversary. They were married on August 30th, 1952. While many families make a regular practice of visiting their loved ones'  gravesites, I've never found much comfort there. It's not a familiar place, a place they spent time. 

Fortunately, our family had the opportunity to donate a bench in their honour at Champlain Park, across the street from their house, where they lived for over 60 years. That neighbourhood, that park, the nearby Ottawa River - that is where I feel their presence. 

So, on some of the special occasions,  some of us in the family decorate their bench. It is our way of celebrating them. On their anniversary this week, I tied on a photo from their wedding day and a poem I wrote for their 30th anniversary. There are still many "old time" residents of Champlain Park who remember Mom and Dad, but many more newcomers, who will not recognize their names on the bench. This way they'll learn a little bit about them. We were so lucky, to have them, for so long!