Echoes of Toronto: Remembering Carolyn, Loss, and a Long-Awaited Reunion

My sweet mum Carolyn I wish you were here. 

Friday night after the High Bar Gang wrapped up at Butchart Gardens we picked up our 2nd cousin and her husband who came to stay at a friends house. They are visiting from Toronto and I haven't seen her in 30+ years. I come from an Italian family and have such vivid memories of my childhood in Toronto with the big weddings with so much family and dancing all night long. There were always a lot food and many courses. Those were the days when lavish wedding like that happened. We'd have family picnics with lots of food.  That all seems like a dream sometimes, it's like I lived it but was so young.

After our mom unexpected died in 2024 we felt so lost without family and our whole world was our mom.   Our cousin and her husband visited us at Bastion Square Market on Sunday to catch up on the past 30+ years. This morning we met them for breakfast at the parliament restaurant. We were exchanging stories and our cousin pulled out photos of special moments. It was our first time at the parliament restaurant since mom died and I couldn't help but feel like something was missing. It's been 2 years and almost 4 months since our mom died and so much has happened in that time. After we said our goodbyes Caron had tears in her eyes and said: "Mom would have loved this that we were meeting with our cousin."  Family seems to be so much meaningful these days.

Most of the time I try not think about the fact that I can't just come home and talk to her and give her a hug.  I too still talk to her and try to imagine what she is up to every day. The love will never go away even though shes gone.

Tell your family you love them and be grateful for each day you have.

Beautifully undone,

Michelle's Musings