It's What You Do With It, Part 2!

Part 2: Family Values (Ch 6.2)

I realize these blogs haven't been published in order, but rather, in the order that I felt like writing them. In addition to this, I am constantly adding ideas & topics of things that one day I hope to write about. The hard part is putting stuff out there when it actually may be relevant to the current events. Like what ever happened to tent city? Did I ever get anything posted out there about that? I know that I have ch. 10 reserved for Native Issues (that's a baaaaaad pun), but really tent city was a pretty big story in itself, and had more to do about this city's splendid growth than "Native Issues". So I guess we will just carry along and put out "It's What You Do With It, Part 2" 4 months since "Part 1" and 2 months after "Part 3".

This is a big one though. Important. And really, I wish I could be writing about "Part 4" right now but I have put this one off long enough. There isn't much more in this world more important than family after all...

The first person in my family that died was my dad's grandmother. I was about 8 or 9 so that would have made her old. I didn't even really know anything about her, besides that she gave me money for Christmas and birthdays. A week into Grade 7 my 18 year old cousin was killed in a car accident. This was the most traumatic thing I had ever experienced in my life. I think about her probably not as much as I should, but I remember how great she was to her little cousin and how the room was truly brighter when she was in it. 2 years later, I lost the second most important person in my life: my Mom's mum. Grandma ... what can I even say?! I was blessed (like many others) to have the BEST Grandma in the world. I experienced the death of other loved ones from cancer/emphysema, Alzheimer's disease, and most recently, a plane crash. 

This blog is dedicated to hoping that its readers stop and take the time for family. All and any. Near or far. You can't be too busy for family. Yes - Even if you don't like him or her. Those older ones are especially worth your time. Within my extended family, I have yet 1 grandma still kickin' @ 89. One of her sons said to me a few weeks ago, "She's got BALLS, that woman"! I have been very fortunate to hear many stories of the Days of Yore, including how milk was brought by horse and carriage and when she had to flee on foot from the Princess Theater from "boys looking for trouble". I've heard war time stories and farm life stories. These veterans are worth your time. Geriatrics. Survivors with a history. Really, history should be paid close attention to after all - since it repeats itself n' all.

My last New Year's Eve was spent @ the University Hospital with this last remaining Grandmother of mine. Not her daughter or sons or anyone else. She fell, you see, and I was the closest one to do anything about it. So I spent the next 14 hours or something hanging out in Emergency while my companion 20-somethings drank and got ridiculous. Efrem and Co. had a show in Calgary that night, which I would have thought to be a pretty good time. But forget regret. Be happy that I could be the one that could help.

Your grandparents deserve your help. Anything that you are capable of. Even if it's programming the remote, I have learned that even something as simple as that could make all the difference in their quality of life. If you don't get along with your grandparents, then don't forget the rest of your family is important too. I know some of us just can't wait to get married and/or move away from our families. If these geriatric veterans are deserving of getting something back from the younger generation - with all if its power and capability - surely, your parents deserve a little something in return, too. If you don't consider yourself as having any family, then there are other people out there that need your help. Regular people. That can't even move around their own 1 bedroom suites, that don't have the cabability of shovelling their own walks.

So look again - hard - at the way you spend your time. I promise too also. This Tuesday will mark the 12th year since my cousin's car accident. I pray that you will never have to experience this kind of tragedy and that you make the most of the time that you have with the most important people in your life.