In memoriam

In memoriam

Mary Catherine Lunz
October 11, 1923 - April 3, 2010

A few days ago, I lost someone very close to me. She was a spectacular woman -someone who never stopped smiling, and would not let the little things slow her down. One of the most stubborn people I have ever known, she is probably sitting up in heaven laughing at a wheelchair while waving her finger saying: see....told you I would never need to use you!

I was very close to my grandmother. I would take the bus over to her place once a month or so for Sunday night dinner, I would share all my Fulcrum articles with her, we even watched a full episode of 'so you think you can dance' over the phone [which worked perfectly because she always has her tv on so loud, that I could mute my television and hear everything through the phone!]. As children, her place was the perfect getaway:for two weeks every summer my sister and I would come to Ottawa and go swimming, see movies, go for walks, and learn card games. All of this will stick with me, and although university life will never be the same without our coffee dates and the Nutcracker ballet, I know you are in a better place.

Sorrow and grief are funny things. Everyone has them, but they come out in different ways, at different times. But what is most common, is to hold back the tears and the anguish until one is privately away from others. There is this stigma that people have to be strong, that we have to be tough for others. But why is that? Why do people have to wait until they are alone in their room to cry, with no one to comfort them. Personally, I would much rather be able to let it all out with my family, where people are there to offer support, words of sincerity, and tons of hugs (as cliche as that sounds). Who cares if the person offering that support is in tears as well? I wouldn't -simply because it means that they understand what I am going through. By keeping it inside, it affects the heart. The heart becomes sad, and people are left constantly thinking about their loss. I think that those we lose would like it more if we all grieved and celebrated their life together, showing each other honestly how we felt and allowed our hearts to heal.

Regardless, Maimey, I will love you forever and ever. See you in the morning when the sun shines bright.