“My Mother … She is beautiful, softened at the edges and tempered with a spine of steel. I want to grow old and be like her.”

I remember how my mother’s eyes would light up when I told her I had “bought the tickets”. Like me, she could never get enough of Newfoundland. She loved the freedom, the friendships, the food, the fun, the fresh air, the fish and chips ….

It was a hard day, when I realized packing us up to head back to Ontario in May of 2018, that she would likely never be here again. Yet, when I come, she is always in my heart and in my thoughts, as I visit all her favourite places, and fondly remember the joy she found in the simple things – walks on the beach with our beloved dogs, day trips with picnics, berry picking, boat rides, whale watching, and chatting with folks we met on our way.

And so it warms my heart to see her sporting her Route 235 shirt – she loved that drive with all her favourite places – Tickle Cove, Keels, King’s Cove, stopping in to see our friends at Round Da Bay Inn, and my “highly smiley” shirt is a poor comparison to the genuine smiles she always shared with everyone.

Love you Momma, always and forever…. rest your weary head on me anytime…