This weekend marked a special occasion as we celebrated our first Mother's Day under this ongoing quarantine and isolation.

I for one broke the rules a little and went to see my Mother for a cup of tea! The last thing I'd want to do is potentially put my Mum at risk of contracting a deadly virus so taking every necessary precaution, and keeping a safe distance of course – we enjoyed a few precious moments of mother-son time together.

Libby has remained in great spirits throughout this lock-down. She manages to stay busy enough with work, reading, gardening, her home fitness regime which includes long walks on a daily basis, and God only knows how many jigsaw puzzles she's completed in the past six weeks!  
 
But that's not to say this hasn't been hard for her either.  Prior to the restrictions, our family would normally get together every Sunday for a big family dinner at Libby's house. With seven grandchildren, you can imagine how chaotic some of those weekly gatherings could get!  But Sunday dinners always have, and always will be, one of Grandma's greatest joys in life. Having all sixteen of us around her dining room table, passing the peas and carrots from one end to the other - is one of those time-honoured traditions that she looks forward to with reverence. 
 
So after eight consecutive weeks with no invited guests at her house... things have started to get a little lonely.  Which is why I felt okay breaking the rules slightly, and joining her for a “spot of tea” on Mother's Day.
 
Before I arrived at her house, Libby had been down in her basement cleaning out old boxes of "junk" as she contemplates yet another downsize from her Beaconsfield bungalow to a smaller condo. Keeping up with the maintenance of the house is starting to become a bit much for her all on her own, and perhaps the empty dining room table has been gently nudging her in a way that suggests another era is ending. She's still unsure about it, but she's begun to wonder if maybe it's time to turn the page on yet another chapter in life. 
 
As we sipped our tea, we chatted about work of course, the grandkids, her home-fitness regimen, and we fantasized about the next time our entire family might be able to get together around her big table again. It also turned out that the reason she had ventured into her basement boxes in the first place was to search for some photos of HER mother – who she and her sisters were thinking about and remembering on this special occasion.
 
She managed to find some great albums, and we shared a few laughs as we flipped through old black & white photos of her and her two sisters - dating back to when they were 8, 9, or 10 years old - the same age as my kids are now! There were some beautiful pictures of her mother too - or “Granny Mary” as I will always remember her. There must have been dozens of photos that I don't think I'd ever seen before – including one in particular that really stood out for me. The only memories I had of “Granny Mary” were of her looking very much like a granny!  I was amazed to see her all dressed up in a cocktail dress looking like a movie star! It was a great trip down memory lane for Libby, and for me – it was an opportunity to spend some precious time with Mum.

I also have a great deal of gratitude and appreciation for another incredible mother in my life...  My wife!

Our three kids, currently in grades 1, 3, and 5 - have been home from school for the better part of two months now.  Eliane has not only been the homeroom teacher for all three grade levels, but also the lunch monitor, the recess monitor, the phys-ed teacher, and the afterschool activity coordinator. I try to pitch in when I can, but let's be perfectly honest... SHE is the one holding down the fort.  All that, and she still manages to run her company's office administration and payroll remotely, and keep the house from turning into a complete zoo!
 
I'm fortunate to have some amazing mothers all around me.  I watch Catherine also doing an incredible job of keeping her son Harrison entertained at home while still staying on top of our real estate business. Her little guy will be turning three at the end of the month. He has endless amounts of energy and requires constant attention and supervision. Sometimes having only one child can be tougher than having three. At least with three they have each other! 

If this pandemic has taught us anything, it has earned us all a much greater appreciation for everything that our teachers and daycare workers do – and I’m sure there are many amazing mothers among them.

Happy Belated Mother's Day to All!

Signing Off…
 
 
Capt’n Mark