...and Sunday Morning Coming Down!

 I hope the weather is good this Sunday morning cuz I plan on having my butt placed firmly on the Yamaha FJR 1300, pointed west, and on a long stretch of highway doing a little 'reflection.'

Sunday is one of those rare calendar days where my Fathers birthday falls on the same day as Mothers Day.

Both are gone now but 'not really.

Dad's voice is heard every Christmas through 630 CHED's Santas Anonymous and his life is very much celebrated by having a building named after him - the Jerry Forbes Centre for Community Spirit.  jerryforbescentre.ca

Mom left us on Remembrance Day, which will forever have a double affect on me.

My favorite answer these days to the question "how're you doing?" is a simple one.

"I'm the luckiest guy in the world" - and mostly because of the two people I will be honouring on Sunday.

Dad was one of the most dynamic people in the world.

Tall.  Debonair. Smart. Talented.  Respected.

An amazing sense of humour and a heart as big as West Edmonton Mall for the 'community of Edmonton.'

Mom was just that.."Mom"...the rock of the family and especially after our world fell apart at "1:30 on July 15th, 1961" when Gord, Gerry and I boarded the plane with Mom to head to Toronto without our Father.

Divorce.  It's ugly and I guess it's why I have always had a huge compassion for 'single Mom's' and what they have to go through in life trying to raise their children.

I use the term 'we lacked for nothing' because Mom (and Dad as well) made sure that we had as normal lives as possible throughout this separation.

We'd spend summer in Edmonton - the school year in Toronto - and as silly as it sounds I apologized to Mom just before she passed away because it took me far too long to understand that, through the divorce, we had 'robbed her' of our summers together. 

She never complained.

Everything we learned....everything we became in life was because of these two people. 

I've made sure I passed along their teachings and guidance along to my two children as well - and I'm pretty damn proud and happy how they turned out too - and how lucky I am to have them in my life too.  

Lauren (Noreen) Forbes

Dad used to say "now you know the circle of life!"

And with that 'circle' thing the introduction of little Liam into my life is simply 'immeasurable"  ..."luckiest guy on earth."  

Liam Boychuk

Not to make this an epic blog but suffice to say once I hit the lakeside park this Sunday, sitting on a little park bench, I'm going to crack out a big cigar and spend an entirely too short of a time remembering Murray McIntyre (Jerry Forbes) and Noreen Elizabeth Mooney (Sheehy) and thank the big guy up in the clouds for whatever role he/she had in making them my parents and simply for everything I have in my wonderful world because of them.



Happy Birthday Dad.    

  


Happy Mothers Day Mom.    

                                                    Damn.  I sure miss them.