10/29/2026
I’m heartbroken to share that my beloved mom passed away. I’m grateful I was able to be with her and my siblings at her bedside, and deeply thankful that we shared Thanksgiving together.
As we get older and life becomes busier, time seems to speed up. Although we may anticipate someday saying goodbye to our aging loved ones, that does not make the loss any easier. We often take aging for granted. When we are fortunate, we say that someone lived a long life and that their passing was expected. But those words can almost minimize the profound impact of losing them. My mom’s death has been much harder than I anticipated. For my husband and I, this was our last parent and there is a sense of emptiness now as it is also for my siblings.
Our parents always believed that travel was the best education and always found ways to show their children the world. Through property swaps, exchange student programs, and long distance road trips, including a trip from Kitchener to California, they managed to take their six children on wonderful adventures. Whether we were camping or staying in hotels, they made those experiences special.
My mom especially loved to cruise. She loved it so much that she went to Hawaii two years in a row.
I am very fortunate to have a large, loving family, and dear friends who are family to us as well. We have held each other up through this difficult time.
I also want to thank my incredible team at Expedia Cruises, who have stepped up to take on my workload and insisted that I close my computer for a while and take the time I need. I am so blessed to be surrounded by such an amazing crew of people.
Yesterday, Wednesday, we held a private funeral. Once we have had time to regain our energy, we will hold a celebration of life, with details to follow. I will also be continuing with some travel plans I had made, which is what Mom would have wanted.
To my family, thank you. I love you.
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