Elly, a bright and positive woman, lived her 98 years to the fullest, independent right to the end. She started her life in the Netherlands, the third child in a family of 7 children. Next came a move to France, where she fell in love with her husband Nel and had 2 children (Cathy and Pierre). After immigrating to Canada, Mom and Dad worked hard to provide better opportunities for their family (and succeeded). Mom always said that the sensation of hope made it feel like less of a struggle.
A teacher by profession, she also taught us so much by example. Mom was philosophical, unselfish, and a “straight talker”. She knew what was important in life, and shunned superficiality. She could see through you. She loved thunderstorms, the sound of rain on the roof, and the smell of manure. She was always looking for new challenges and once conquered, took them to the next level. She loved birds and animals and took great pleasure in nature, gardening, reading, Sudoku, and doing crafts such as cross-stitch, crochet, knitting, stained glass, and most recently, diamond art. But her greatest source of pleasure was her family. Mom maintained contact, in person, by e-mail or Facetime, with her beloved sisters and brother. She was an integral part, a fixture, in the lives of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Mom was much-loved.
In the past few years, she recorded her memories and opinions on a multitude of topics in a book. Page 228 contains this passage from a chapter titled “Things I cannot live without”:
I used to have the need to be in the middle of nature, be active in there, work in it, walk the woods, look at moving water, listening to its sounds, but that has changed. Now that I am old, the natural world means even more to me, it is more precious, I am afraid to lose it.
When I am in pain or tired, I lie on the chesterfield and look at the trees, I look at the wind passing and playing with the leaves. It does it for itself, or maybe for the leaves. But it invites me to watch. It is not just ‘moving air’. It is so calming and soothing. This is what I see and feel when I do that.
Mom, this solace will continue.
The mortal remains of the body you leave behind will lay by the lake to nourish the earth. The earth from which trees that drink from the lake grow. The wind will play through the hair of your great-grandchildren as they run about and the wind will dance in the new leaves which you will become.
We will know you are there, and join you in your pleasure.
