Day 182 of a Photo a Day: Love, Death, and Family

As I sit in my seat on the train half-eavesdropping on the giant group of friends behind me discussing sustainable food and meat and animal-product-free nutrition, I am hit with a feeling of happiness, sadness and gratitude for my beautiful and strong family.

I am making this trip to Ottawa because of both the death of my uncle and the 60th anniversary of my grandparents' marriage. Tomorrow morning, we will honour my uncle David's life during the interment of his ashes. on the evening of that same day, we will celebrate the life and love and the marriage of my grandparents that happened 60 years ago. In all of their actions, they repeatedly demonstrate their strength to their family, and this decision so that their hard-working grandson and their granddaughter could be a part of the night was not lost on me.

I am so immeasurably thankful to have them as influences in my life, displaying daily how strong and beautiful partnership can be. These two are a good match for one another. Grandma is talkative and bubbly and grampy is slow-moving and calculated. It reminds me a bit of my own relationship, though I would say Don and I exhibit a little from each side.

I'm excited to see my family (of course especially my parents who at this point in the post I've gotten to take a selfie with--see above), and happy that, even though the morning will be hard, the whole day will be about celebrating some amazing lives and loves. Dave was mind-bogglingly caring and went out of his way to make people feel special and heard. He got this from his parents.

I love all three of you, forever. Xoxoxo.