A Database of the Dead

Dont think of him as gone away his journeys just begun; Life holds so many facets this earth is only one.
Just think of him as resting from the sorrows and the tears in a place of warmth and comfort where there are no days and years. Think how he must be wishing that we could know today how nothing but our sadness can really pass away. And think of him as living in the hearts of those he touched......for nothing loved was ever lost and he was loved so much

My great grandmother is my hero. When her husband left her in Slovakia with the kids for a new life in Canada with promises to send for them, she didn't wait passively. She took odd jobs and scrimped and saved money for the passage for her and her 3 surviving kids. When he never sent for them, she boarded a ship, came to Canada not speaking a word of English and tracked him down in Montreal and said 'we are your responsibility - deal with it'. He had no choice to comply. Her strength, resilience, and warm heart were never lost in translation.

Vince's dream was to own an optician store. It would be staffed by his children and his nephews. Once I married into the family, I was invited to work there as well. Vince would sit on a stool in the middle of the store and tell us all what to do. At the end of the day, we would all have dinner together. This is the Vince I knew and loved. Will always remember the power of music in his life, especially in the late stages of dementia. It allowed me to see glimpses of the man I would never know but who had left a legacy.