All in all this has been an emotional week. It all started with a call from my aunt Thérèse Bourgoin to inform me that my aunt Évelyne Landry-Bourgoin, my uncle Claude's wife, had passed away from bladder cancer. This was shocking since she had only been diagnosed a month earlier. My aunt and uncle had been such a support when my Mom and Dad passed away, that I thought it very important to go to my aunt's funeral. My cousin Denyse arranged everything. Since her father is very ill, she also had to ensure that he could participate to he funeral. So on Tuesday morning I made my way to the bus station for a 12 hour drive from Montreal to Carleton-sur-mer, an idyllic sea-side community by the Baie des Chaleurs. I must say that buses have evolved a great deal, with more leg room, plugs and wi-fi, which made the trip endurable. The bus dropped me off at the Heron restaurant in Carleton-sur-mer at about 9:15pm where my cousin Denyse met me. The last time we had seen each other was for our grandfather's funeral in 1974; we were 17. It was very easy to recognize her as she looks very much like her mother. She drove me, a couple of minutes away, to the B&B I was staying at: Gîte la Mer la Montagne. For $57 per night I had a huge room with a queen bed, a double bed, a full bathroom, and a balcony overlooking the Baie des Chaleurs; this price also included a wonderful home-made hot and cold breakfast. My hosts, Monsieur Roger Legault et Mme Alice Piquette, were wonderful, warm, entertaining, and very helpful - Alice drove me to the Church the morning of the funeral (they had also offered to pick me up and drop me off at the bus station). You can see it all at http://www.lamerlamontagne.com/index.htm.
At the church, the oldest Roman Catholic church in Gaspésie, he funeral was well organized by my cousin who, with the assistance of her husband, Yves Tardiff, ensured that everyone was welcomed and properly introduced to everyone else; she also ensured her father was given appropriate information to remember who everyone was. The flowers were beautiful and framed the pedestal where my aunt's ashes were resting in a wonderful vessel that reflected all the light in a rainbow-like halo. The music and the signers were inspirational. The big surprise came when my uncle insisted in saying a few words in remembrance of his wife. Since he is not in good health, my cousin and her husband helped him to be podium where he started by reading from a prepared speech, which he obviously gave a lot of thought to, and then he continued on from the heart in remembering how they met and how they lived their life together in much love and respect. Unfortunately, my cousin Paul, my uncle's youngest child, could not come because of illness. I kept thinking of him as I am sure it must have been very difficult for him. One of Évelyne's sister, Lucette, was able to come, but her other sister, Madeleine is very ill and could not make the trip. Lise, one Denyse's cousin on her mother's side was also there. After the mass, the family was invited for a light lunch in the Sacristy, where we all renewed acquintances. I actually met a couple of distant cousins which still live in Mont-Joli where my father was born and grew up.
At the church, the oldest Roman Catholic church in Gaspésie, he funeral was well organized by my cousin who, with the assistance of her husband, Yves Tardiff, ensured that everyone was welcomed and properly introduced to everyone else; she also ensured her father was given appropriate information to remember who everyone was. The flowers were beautiful and framed the pedestal where my aunt's ashes were resting in a wonderful vessel that reflected all the light in a rainbow-like halo. The music and the signers were inspirational. The big surprise came when my uncle insisted in saying a few words in remembrance of his wife. Since he is not in good health, my cousin and her husband helped him to be podium where he started by reading from a prepared speech, which he obviously gave a lot of thought to, and then he continued on from the heart in remembering how they met and how they lived their life together in much love and respect. Unfortunately, my cousin Paul, my uncle's youngest child, could not come because of illness. I kept thinking of him as I am sure it must have been very difficult for him. One of Évelyne's sister, Lucette, was able to come, but her other sister, Madeleine is very ill and could not make the trip. Lise, one Denyse's cousin on her mother's side was also there. After the mass, the family was invited for a light lunch in the Sacristy, where we all renewed acquintances. I actually met a couple of distant cousins which still live in Mont-Joli where my father was born and grew up.
Then it was back to the B&B for the night. After another wonderful breakfast, my cousin picked me up to deliver me safely to the bus station where we said our good byes and I embarked on another 12 hour trip for home.
I would highly recommend a visit to the Gaspésie, a very unique and culturally different part of Quebec and Canada. The view and the people are amazing. If you do, remember to stop by Carleton-sur-mer http://www.carletonsurmer.com/ville/!
As I reflected I thought: isn't it so sad that we have to wait for these events in our lives to make the effort to visit others which at one point mattered so much!
--Marie/gws
