My cousin Dennis has often been a friend in time of need, knowing just when to show up. He came over the morning after my father’s funeral and we sat around a table with my mother, reliving bygone days with the help of her old photographs. There were photos of my father breaking land, of … Continue reading Chapter 1 – Why couldn’t I be the healthy one?
family
Looking for real Mennonites
All I learned about Mennonites while I was growing up was that my mother had been one and had left because the German language was more important than the faith and that my grandma, a dear sweet old lady, was one and wanted me to learn German so I could be a Christian. Perhaps there … Continue reading Looking for real Mennonites
Precious memories
My cousin Dennis was born September 9, 1937, the first of six children born to Art and Katherine Goodnough. His wife called last week to tell us that his children were planning a surprise birthday party for him for his 80th birthday, last Saturday. Could we come? I thought about it briefly, maybe half a … Continue reading Precious memories
Lonely people
We had dinner the other day with a man, his newest girlfriend, his mother and his youngest son. This man works hard, is very well paid, and is using his money to try to fix his broken relationships. When he was a young man he married and two sons were born to him. He and … Continue reading Lonely people
The breaking point
Dad and I had never been close; fear of his impatience and anger made me keep a safe distance. As I grew up the gulf between us widened and neither of us knew how to bridge it. One Sunday in June of 1959 we were on our way home from church. I was driving, Mom … Continue reading The breaking point
Adopted
I remember the last time my father blew up at me. He was 80, I was 30 and it was the same tirade that I had heard so many times before during my 30 years. I knew there was no use trying to argue, change the subject or yell back at him. He was not … Continue reading Adopted
What on earth is a “Canadian Black Friday” sale?
I hope my readers will forgive me as I go off on another rant. I promise to soon get back to more normal posts. (Normal for this blog, at least.) Today is the second Monday in October – Thanksgiving Day in Canada. Thanksgiving is not quite as big a deal in Canada as it is … Continue reading What on earth is a “Canadian Black Friday” sale?
A series of coincidences?
We wanted to have children – and definitely more than one. I was an only child and my wife had been raised as an only child by her aunt and uncle. We didn't think that was the ideal way to grow up. We had been married less than a year when another young couple from … Continue reading A series of coincidences?
Dementia
My mother wasn't able to look after herself anymore and had come to live with us. One day a conversation with a visitor went like this: —How old are you? —What year is it? —Two thousand and four —Then I am ninety-six. That was my mother; she couldn't remember how old she was, but she … Continue reading Dementia
Juggling jobs
I am getting old, I call myself semi-retired, but it seems that I have more demands on my time than ever before, and I'm not at all sure that I'm managing my time wisely. I am a bookkeeper: A large part of my income is pension, but I still have five bookkeeping clients that I … Continue reading Juggling jobs
Flatlander Faith 