Bubbles

One thing that my Son liked was bubbles.  Yes, the small plastic bottles of soapy water with a shaped stick on the inside of the lid you used to blow bubbles.  I found out a few years ago that the bottles in the house were not a gift for any kid he may be going to visit but ones he had bought for himself.  I had bought 3 different shaped ones so he could share the next time he visited kids.

They hadn't been used but they were used today.  We put a message on Facebook and told several family and friends too far away to attend to blow them around 4 pm London ON time.

Bubbles were blown in the German sky.  We went there when he was 11 months old and returned 4 years and 10 months later as his Father was in the military.  It had to have played an big part in his early life as he became the middle child when his baby sister was born.  Both families we shared houses with had much older boys so he moved in to a very high status with them.  Especially being the type of child he was.  The charm of his latter years was definitely there in his early years.

Bubbles were blown in Winnipeg where my cousins gathered to talk about him, remember him and trade stories.  Travelling to the North for work meant a plane change in Winnipeg sometimes and he always tried to make the change long enough to get a visit in.  What could be better than a favorite Chinese restaurant and his family.

Bubbles were blown in B.C.  where the grandson of his first girl friend had the joyful pleasure of playing with bubbles.  David got to meet him for which I am very glad.  I am sure the rest of the family will let him know as he grows older exactly who David was and the part he played in their lives.  David would have loved -- and wanted -- and probably worn -- that hat!

It seems so very appropriate that there is so much distance between those places.  In the past few years he has travelled across the country and to the Far North so many times.  Rarely did you hear about the actual travel times or airports.  It was about the actual place he had been, about where he had walked (often to places he shouldn't be like miles outside of town by himself when polar bears had recently been seen in the area), about the food or lack thereof that he enjoyed (some places were not used to a vegetarian's requirements), and about the people.

There were so many people at the funeral home!  Many I couldn't or didn't recognize.  A few I talked to today and some I'll talk to in the next few weeks and many I wish I had talked to.  Few did talk beyond the family when given an opportunity during the "Open Mike" time but there were still plenty of surprises there and I know there were cards left for me.  We had left index cards out for people to write something down so I can read them later.  (Typing the words "Open Mike" reminds me of a story I would like to share -- David was in the Youth Group in our church and was probably 14 or 15 at the time.  The group had decided to have a "Spaghetti Dinner" as a fund raiser and somebody -- in a misguided moment -- had asked David to announce and promote it at a Sunday morning service.  The poor minister -- Reverend now Bishop Ron Ferris -- remarked that he wasn't sure he was going to get the microphone back.  David did do a good promotion.)

I am just a bit ticked off that I didn't get an invite to the best party of them all.  There was a gathering of ESM (East Side Mario) staff as David worked there for Peter since 1998 until his leaving to do the Post Office training a few years ago but returned for awhile to do some part-time waitering work.  (For which he felt too old to do many nights when he came home.)  I am sure that there will be laughter and tears, a few (???) beers and lots and lots of stories.  With that group there couldn't help but be and I am really glad they will get that chance to have their private celebration of David's life.

Thanks to those who blew bubbles, to those who were here in person, those who were here in Spirit,  and to all those who hold us in their hearts and prayers.

After my Mother died I talked with a lady I had been close to at the posting just before.  I was telling her about who was helping with the children (the youngest turned 13 the day Mom died) and such and her question (Who is going to hug you?) meant so very much to me.  I didn't have to worry or look for anyone to hug today. 

Please give someone an unexpected hug today.  And may you always have someone who will provide those unexpected hugs whenever you need them.