Monthly Archives: August 2013

Thank You

I really cannot express how much the support and love, and caring and kindness that so many of you have shown us means to me. I truly have felt part of a close and wide community of support. Thank you everyone who walked along with us during Kathleen’s life with cancer.

Thank you also for those of you who read of our journey, of our story. A friend of mine described our blog as a love story. Thank you, that is an honor I will gladly claim. Looking back on my life with Kathleen was amazing. We truly brought out the best of each other, and kept the worst at bay. We shared sadness and happiness in our lives. We were there for each other in our individual trials, and we were there together in our collective challenges. We laughed a lot. We all know our lives are finite, but its always hard when it becomes history.

Yesterday, was very much an important ritual for me. Before the service, I chose to walk to the funeral home by myself and got there well before everyone. It was a knee buckling experience coming into the empty room and seeing her Crazy Daisies urn next to the photo of her where she looks like the Queen of Belgium. It was an important milestone and marker in this part of my road as it was very symbolic as the proverbial final fork where our paths diverged. But who knows, perhaps we are like King and Weber St., which run parallel but meet 3 times 🙂 There, I will end this, the final blog entry, with a Waterloo smile.

Thank you

—Mike

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Celebration of Life

Hi Everyone,
We will be having a celebration of life party for Kathleen on Sunday, August 11th from 3pm to 5pm. It would be wonderful to come together to celebrate Kathleen’s life and legacy.

Instead of flowers, Kathleen asked that donations be made either to the KW-Humane society, or the Annette Fund at the Grand River Regional Cancer Centre.

As you know Kathleen loved and cared a great deal about her dogs and cat, as well as the welfare of animals in general.  Donations can be made at http://www.kwhumane.com/

The Annette Fund is in honour of former GRRCC employee Annette Specht – who was well known for her quiet advocacy and generosity to patients and families with emergent needs – a Fund was established in her name, to continue her good works!

When a GRRCC patient or family member has immediate needs for one-time assistance with specific items, such as: a meal (Tim Horton’s coupons/cards); a taxi, including wheelchair access (United Taxi voucher); or Hospital parking ($10 card, one time use), or a supportive medication from Health Care Pharmacy, not covered by another source.

The link that can be used is: http://www.grhf.org/en/indorgredirect

These ‘little’ costs can be very onerous for a lot of people. Kath was ‘lucky’ in that she had an amazing drug and benefits plan.  For many, this is not the case, and it can REALLY add up.

The service will be at the Erb & Good Funeral home.  You can find further information at http://www.erbgood.com/book-of-memories/1641288/McSpurren-Kathleen/service-details.php

Finally, I want to thank from the bottom of my heart all the emails, food care packages, phone calls, cards and just plain old support directed specifically to myself and Elaine.  Its been a fog for us after Kathleen died on Monday.  I have been putting pictures together to play at the service in the background, and its bitter sweet.  It brings back so many memories and makes me miss her so.  But also, I mourn the future I will never have with her. I really wanted so much more with her.  

 

—Mike

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