Flowering blooms in the wintry peace

with love for my mom...




"Flowering blooms in the wintry peace"

Forty years ago today
She stepped upon the frozen soil
Draped in winters' finest array
Harshly brushed in cold's frozen grasp

So young, so beautiful, yet hauntingly daring
She left the warmth of home
The fierce beauty of the Jamaican isle
To be trained and further cultured in the helm of Europe

Then a call, a draw, a pull
To some unknown land
A cold land, so far, so far

Before the days of the internet, web cams and e-mail
She left the familiar voices of home
The laughter, the musical, enchanting lilt of voices familiar
and stepped out

Such risk, such cost, such unknown adventure
Placing her future in the hands of God and destiny
Embarking on a journey into an unfathomable land
She took a step and changed history

My history.

If she had never gone,
They would have never met,
I would have never been.

How did the call sound
That could pry her
From the comfort, the rhythm,
And sweet melody of the Caribbean dance

Was it the wintry breeze calling her name
Birthing moms, crying out in pain
Children's laughter rippling the air
Grandchildren's love sent with a flair

Whatever the call
Whatever the tune
I hope the cost is worth it
I owe everything to you.

For taking that step into the unknown
Flowers still bloom and multiply
Dotting the landscape with your courage, beauty, strength and love
Leaving a mesmerizing hint of the exotic

on the prairie landscape.





Love you mom- happy 40 year anniversary in Canada


You'll have to excuse Ivan's little potty dance at the end of the first video, I think he was just overcome with excitement. In the second video, I told the kids we'd record a message for grandma. It might help you understand them if I explain that I've had them repeatedly record and re-record our phone answering message, since they have repeatedly erased and re-erased it by pressing all the machine's fun little buttons.