Brenda on Rising Before the Crack of Dawn (#41 of 80 Thoughts About Arta)

My friend Brenda MacDonald sent me this lovely letter. I think she captured my 20 years of fun that are outside of my paid work: a time children rarely known about their parent's lives.  I am including it in Tonia's Series about me, "80 Ideas about Arta".  

She said it would be alright if I put blogged it here -- having said that, I am being released from the Oncology Palliative Care this morning.  

~ ~ ~ ~ 

Dear Arta, 

 After reading that email you sent us about your health and mentioning the word “palliative” you scared Fazeela and I. Fazeela called me and we were both in tears. We talked for quite a while and all of a sudden I started having all these memory flashbacks. So now I want to share some of those and let you know what you truly mean to me!! While I didn’t work as closely with Fazeela and Ann I thought I would still share these memories with them as well.

MacKimmie Tower at U of C

We started our connection working for the same Department (you located on 7th MacKimmie Tower and me on the 2nd floor MacKimmie Block). I was very pregnant with Dylan when this happened and upon my return from maternity leave in 1996 I was informed they were moving me to the 3rd floor of the Block. This is when we started our every day routine of working together. Through the years you have played many different roles in my life: co-worker, mother at times (you do have a few years on me J), parent advisor, psychologist, computer training buddy, editor (along with Kelvin) but most importantly one of my dearest friends.

When Dylan was around 2 years old I brought him in to work. You managed to get hold of him and taped two of his fingers together. I told you how cruel it was to tape a little kid’s fingers together to which you replied “I was just checking his analytical skills”. We both just burst out laughing!!!

Learning new computer skills together was always fun. You were very much a “read the manual” kind of person and I was the “let’s see if we can figure out playing on the computer”. Once we had exhausted all possibilities we would call the IT Help Desk (Heather, Laurie, Gretchen, CJ and Deb). I remember Heather Weiland telling me that when they saw our phone number they got nervous because they knew that if Arta or Brenda were calling we had tried just about everything. When I took my Women’s Studies course I always used to joke that I was “off to learn how to be a feminist”. You always laughed at this and said “You already are a feminist”. I was so terrified of having to write a paper that I just wrote everything down I could think of. I was lucky enough to have not one, but two editors on my side (Arta and Kelvin). I aced that paper too!!!

We always had a lot of traffic in our office (your children, nieces, nephews and sisters). Everyone that came in was looking for “Arta”. I had no idea who Richard was the first time he came in and asked for “Arta”. I asked which relative he was and he said her son. I was surprised when he called you Arta and asked why your kids call you that. I think it had something to do with the size of your entire family and the fact that every time someone said Mom all of the Mothers would turn around. I have seen pictures on your Larch Haven Blog and you do have a huge family! 

buns ready to be put in oven

Cinnamon buns! Back in those days was there even a person in the Library that didn’t try them!  I remember Trell dropping off cinnamon buns (still hot) and was quite amazed that you would get up before the crack of dawn, go through the process of bread making and be serving fresh hot buns to the whole office. I remember the demonstration of “how to make them” that you gave in the Library Lounge one day as well! Amazing! 

I read your posts about “80 Memories for 80 Years”. I too am wondering if Patsy is still married to that boy. Post #21. 

I was thrilled to read all of these posts as I learned so much more about you. I didn’t realize that you had a dream of being a doctor first and then lawyer. I am sad that you were not able to realize that dream but in a way that dream was realized through your daughters Catherine and Rebecca. You have always been a proud Mom of all your children (and those that you were like a mother too as well). My last one but not because I don’t have many but you might need a rest.

I was reading one of your posts about our trip to the Shuswap and how you didn’t think I enjoyed myself. I can tell you that it was one of the most amazing weekend getaways I have ever had. I was quiet because I was inhaling all of the beauty you see when heading to the West Coast. The stop at Lake Louise, the Skunk Cabbage tour, the huge forest that we stopped to look (up) at those trees were huge, the water trickling down through the rocks as we were driving was just so stunningly beautiful I had no words. 

Being at your beautiful home, sitting at the lake watching fish jumping in and out of the water, walking on the beach, the night we spent in the hot tub where 3 of us were drinking Glen’s wine (I believe) and having conversations that made me blush! I will never ever forget that trip Arta.

You have truly been an amazing woman in my life and I love you very much for all of it!!!

Please feel better…

Love,

Brenda

(No 41 of 80)