Never let on, but it’s up you're going !




 

This is a saying that my mother-in-law used to always say, and to be honest I never really understood it. Until now.

 

Joy lost her 92-year-old mom last week, and the saying is an appropriate tribute to a life well lived. If there's ever a hero’s journey, it is the journey of Lillian Kane.

 

The gist of the saying is that the journey through life will bring joys and hardships, and all we can do is just keep going. We have no choice. Keep putting one foot in front of the other, keep learning, keep growing. The very best. That is what makes us a hero in our own journey.

 

Nan went through a lot in her journey, including being a widow at 51 and losing two sons to cancer, but it was maritime toughness, and strong belief in the gospel, that kept her looking up. 

The fighting spirit she showed throughout her whole life was evident to the end. I remember two years ago speaking to my Week 5 Olympia family about her being given two to three weeks to live. A couple of months ago the end seemed imminent, but she wasn’t done fighting. Her being buried next to her husband Vince is so fitting as she loved the Miramichi area of New Brunswick, where she was born and raised, and because her family could be together to celebrate her life in the cottage she loved so much. That family includes my wife Joy, a week 9 Lady of Leisure, and her brother Rick Traer, who coached at Olympia for many years. Their mom raised them, and their sister Janet, to work hard, have fun, and do their very best.

 

The best connection to the hero’s journey Nan taught was that the sharing of our gifts and talents for the good of others makes the world a better place. A hero has a goal to inspire the next generation. Always quick-witted and with an empathetic ear, Nan attracted others to her because of her care and interest in them. She was the Nan who remembered every birthday, every anniversary. She was proud of her kids but especially proud of her grandkids. I will always remember that she was at Daniel's senior game at Guelph and at Nicole's wedding, giving them moments they will never forget. They will be stewards of her legacy and for that we are grateful. 


I think of Nan always, but now she will guide me through the process of completing this book.  She always talked about the positives in life. In Dave Talk talk, that means that looking at the process is where happiness lies, and the outcome will be based on attitude, effort and belief.. RIP Nan

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