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| Murray & Di at Queen Elizabeth Park |
When Christine and I decided to move from Ontario to B.C. twenty years ago, we knew that we had introduced separation into our family relationships. I ran that by my father at the time and his response was "you have to do what God has called you to do." That was an appropriate response given that he believed what he said and I was coming to BC to pastor a church. I left behind my parents and two brothers and their families and Christine did the same with her family. We have never regretted the move and the separation was manageable as it turned out that I was able through all of the years to travel annually to visit family back east. My own two children stayed in the west, married and had children and live here. We are complete and content.
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| Image of Murray from his website |
However, we missed all the large family events and parties. My elderly parents finally unable to travel, saw only one of our five grandchildren in person. My brothers, Murray and Neale and I missed countless leisure and sporting opportunities done together. I am saddened to reflect on that. Murray is now retired as well and in his later years has also taken up visual art (painting) as a passionate hobby. His website is called Vintage Impressions. He paints for the pleasure and sells some because he has a unique and appealing style. Neale and his wife Kathy run a needlecraft store and Neale does picture framing. That could certainly have become a business alliance.
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| Murray & Ron at work/play |
He and Diane chose to come to visit here in British Columbia for three weeks. Murray has come to officiate at a wedding of some special friends, and Di and Murray have been staying with us. We have both fulfilled a dream by spending hours painting together while listening to music (golden oldies) or talking (telling old stories) or laughing (too much), or doing all of these simultaneously. We have both completed paintings during this week.
We both see what we have been missing but we cannot retrace the past or return to change it. So we are not dwelling in the past, or dreaming of the future, but rather concentrating upon the present moment - living it.
Christine and I may travel east in 2012 and we will certainly pop in to see all of the relatives scattered in Ontario and Quebec. We may also return to see the Maritimes after an absence of over twenty years. And then perhaps we will disappear to England and Europe for many months - just thinking.
