Loss – Life by the Sea

The most difficult words I’ve ever written…

July 9, 2021 No Comments

Joan was born on February 27, 1948 in Liverpool and was the sixth child of the late Muriel Evans (nee Allen) and the only child of the late Joseph Mills of Milton, NS. Born under the sign of the fish (Pisces) she had a life-long love of the water. Growing up on the banks of the Mersey, she spent her childhood swimming in the river and always found herself happiest when spending time at the family cottage in Labelle on Ponhook Lake or taking drives along the coast with those she loved. After completion of the secretarial course at Liverpool Regional High School she worked as a Payroll Clerk at Liverpool’s Town Hall. It was there that she met Howard. An employee with Maritime Tel & Tel (later Aliant) he had been called to fix a telephone line which required him to crawl under her desk. In the process, he […]

Loss

Fare Thee Well, Love

July 9, 2021 No Comments

It is with a broken heart that I share with you the sad news that Mom passed away in the early hours this morning at Queens General Hospital’s emergency room following a quick turn of events. As many of you already know, she has suffered from high blood pressure and diabetes for decades which eventually led to kidney failure and the need for 3x weekly dialysis treatments for the last seven years. Trying to manage all of these complications was challenging and there were many bumps along the way, but she always persevered and bounced back as best as she could. Unfortunately, this was not one of those instances. When given the opportunity to seek potential further medical assistance at the Yarmouth hospital’s ICU – unsure she’d navigate the perilous journey there given her critical status – or let her remain comfortable in Liverpool with her family with her – […]

Loss, Pets, Reflections

Grief Is The Price We Pay For Love – On Losing A Pet

November 3, 2016 2 Comments

I’m a cat person I’ve lost a few pets in my life – it is the unfortunate cost of loving an animal. Their lives are much shorter than ours and it is inevitable that we will lose them, yet we commit to loving them despite the heartbreak we’ll endure. It was November of 1998 and I had just moved from my rural hometown to the city. My first apartment by myself. I had left everything that was familiar behind. A fresh start. A new beginning. In only a few weeks, the silence of my solitude was deafening. I needed interaction. I needed a cat. The hardest part is walking away with only one I made a visit to the SHAID Tree Animal Shelter and spent some time in the cat room. I stopped in front of each cage and interacted with the various cats and kittens up for adoption. After about an […]