Bill's Musings

  I am sitting here, it;s a Saturday night, and my family and I are sitting in the family room and watching ‘Marley & Me‘. We are dressed in our most comfortable clothes, our 4 dogs are with us, and we are as cozy as can be.

I got to thinking about a year ago at this point. My son Mackie was 2-weeks into a new relationship with Elizabeth. I had yet to meet her yet. My wife knew her because she teaches at the school that both Mackie and Elizabeth attended, so she knew her. All indications were that she was a sweetheart, and I was so happy that my son was courting someone as great as she.

As this relationship grew, I still hadn’t met her. To be honest I was beginning to think I may not get the chance. I had never met a girlfriend of any kind for my children, and I kept insisting to Mackie that we needed to break the ice at some point. He was obviously nervous about introducing her to me…..I just didn’t know why. Was I a douche bag? Did I stink?

Of course we eventually met. And it wasn’t awkward. In fact, we fell in love with this girl immediately. There are times in life when things just feel right immediately. This was the case here. Elizabeth fit in to our famliy circle right away. We were all amateurs at this.

Since that moment, there have been some changes. Mackie and Liz graduated from high school. Went to Prom together. He got a car. She lives 20 minutes away, which may as well have been 2 hours away had he not gotten a car. They became steadies. They enrolled in University together. Then we convinced her to come to Jasper Alberta with us on a trip that we had done several times. Would this work?

Best. Trip. Ever.

That trip to me was something I ever expected, We had many family adventures before, but this trip was the epitome of family. It was like we were the perfect family. Elizabeth and Mackie were obviously happy together. As parents we could not ask for more. And she took to my son Alex as if her was a brother. My wife and I left for a walk, leaving Makie and Liz and Alex at the cabin we were stayng in. When we returned Mackie was napping and Liz and ALex were playing Jenga. That may not sound like much to some, but to us it meant the world. It was a moment we will never forget.

We have dealt with cancer during this last year/ With parents suffering dimentia and Alzheimer’s. Friends passing. OUr first dog passing. So many other things good and bad. The plethora of things families go through any given year. And throughout Elizabeth fit in and stood behind and supported and participated.

So as my kids….ALL of them…..sit on our couches and laugh and cry to a movie about a dog….I cannot help but feel like the luckiest man in the world.

What a difference a year can make.