I love Canada Day.
I mean, I really love it. I always have. I remember as a teenager, my official driver's license being the newest arrival in my wallet, cruising over to Outlook to meet up with my friends for the day.
We'd watch movies, we'd talk, we'd joke around, and we'd inevitably wind up in someone's truck and go bombing around town, seeing the sights and hearing the sounds that came with every July 1st. As the sun went down and disappeared for the evening, we'd go and find the best spot at the Rec Plex to park and watch the fireworks as they lit up the night sky, with everyone's eyes peering upward and sounds of 'oohh' and 'aahh' emanating.
Years later, I still very much enjoy what comes with July 1st, including what went down this past week. For the first time in my 15 years as the local reporter, I actually got to be *IN* a parade instead of taking photos of one! Imagine that! I have to say, I really enjoyed the experience of being in a convoy that goes around the community waving to everyone. It was so cool to see all the people and families together, many of them clad in red and white, and seeing all the smiling faces.
Because that's what it's all about, right? Canada Day carries a lot of meanings for a lot of people, but I think what we can all agree on is that if any community's events put smiles on peoples' faces and make them feel good about themselves, then mission accomplished. I think the parade in Outlook did just that.
But this year proved to be a little bit more special for me, as I had a family reunion over the weekend, as well. In fact, on July 1, I found myself in Outlook's parade in the late morning, and a little less than an hour later, I was sitting inside the Conquest rink with dozens of my fellow family members as we laid my aunt, Lois Dallas, to rest with a celebration of life service. Talk about going from one extreme to another, huh?
But to be perfectly honest, I really admired the somewhat odd pairing of these events. There's something almost romantic about being in a community parade one hour, waving to people who are just there to have a good time and see something enjoyable, and then moving on to the next hour, where you're joined together with family and you're saying goodbye to someone who was strong-willed, loving-hearted, and truly unforgettable. The service was wonderful, by the way. Lois would've loved it. My cousin Patti did an incredible job with the eulogy, and her video highlighting Lois's life with photos and memories really summed up how special this woman was that we all knew and loved.
It was one of those services in which you felt like you wanted to leave it with a smile instead of the usual wet faces and tears.
The rest of the weekend was a great reunion and a great reminder that at the end of the day, nothing else matters except family.
The pre-amble on Thursday down at the rink grounds while we were doing the setup was enjoyable; kind of the "calm before the storm". The service for Lois on Friday was very memorable. The hotdogs that were grilled up for supper that night were delicious. The fireworks that were blasted beside the rink were loud and colorful. The crokinole game tournament that pitted family members against each other on Saturday was a smashing success, which ultimately saw my uncle Dale square off against my aunt Shirley. The two of them wore Conquest Merchants jerseys as the game got underway, and after a twist or two, the end came when Dale emerged victorious. Spent that Tim Horton's gift card wisely, Uncle.
The music flowed. The drinks flowed even harder. The food was delicious. The photos kept getting snapped. The conversations never lulled. The laughs were in high supply. The memories were made. The past was revisited. The family who is no longer with us was remembered fondly with smiles and a few tears.
And then it was all over.
It ended for me with a final visit out at Dale's on Sunday, seeing my aunt Shirley, uncle Vic, cousin Patti and her family, cousin Sandy, and my cousin Murray with Linda. We talked about the weekend, we did a little more reminiscing, and a few drinks were enjoyed. We also did a number on the leftover steak from the weekend, with some incredible potatoes that were diced up, flavored, and cooked almost like hash browns. Before I knew it, Brendon and I were back at home last night, just thinking back over the previous 72 hours that had passed.
I'd have to say that my cousin Cheryl pretty much said it all out at the Fertile Valley Cemetery on Friday after we'd laid Lois to the ground. Tears in her eyes, she came up to me and looked out over the cemetery grounds at all the family that has now passed on. Six words left her mouth - "It just goes by so fast." She was right on the money with that one. We all just get so busy with our own lives that it feels like as if before we know it, a year goes by, then another, then another, and then another. Much sooner than much later, you'll be talking with a family member and you're trying to remember the last time you saw them, and it'll hit you that it's been maybe 4-5 years. A lot can happen in that time. Sometimes, too much can happen.
As it turns out, there are already plans for another reunion that were tossed around over the weekend, this one being out in Alberta. Sounds good to me, crew.
For this week, that's been the Ruttle Report.
