That journey we never made
“Happy travels to you my darling, until we meet again”
As we go through life we often make special plans to be completed before our life ends. We like to refer to these things as our bucket list.
Let me tell you about our “Bucket List” that myself and my beloved wife, Shirley made in our much younger, ambitious and hopeful years.
I met Shirley when we were both still in high school. As a matter of fact I took Shirley to her graduation prom as she graduated from our once existing Saint Agnes High School.
We were only 17 years old at that time and our friendship continued from then on. An expression our seniors referred to as “puppy love.”
This close friendship continued on through Shirley’s grade 12 at the then Central High School here in New Waterford. Only this year there were two proms, Shirley’s Grade 12 and my Grade 11. Oh, what wonderful year that was.
Shirley then proceeded to take professional training with the hope of obtaining her RN. I attended Xavier Junior College in Sydney and much later to St. FX in Antigonish.
Unfortunately I didn’t graduate but my sweet heart Shirley did and became an excellent and compassionate nurse. This made me very proud.
Item number one in her bucket list was completed. Me, I just joined the working class without a title or an “x ring” so to speak. Our romance continued. You could call it young love, the kind referred to in a song that was titled “Young Love.”
I knew at this time that Shirley was meant for me. The next number of years we made plans but we were never in a hurry to marry as we did not want to get in a financial bind. We wanted some basic furniture and a little
nest egg to carry us through. As the old saying goes, when financial troubles come through the door, love goes out the window.
We attended many dances in the area because we loved dancing and being together as we often said who cares what our dancing looks like. We are together and that is what it was all about.
We married on July 31, 1965 on a very hot day and I was just bursting with happiness, love and pride. Shirley looked like an angel on that day. Then came our future plans: love, happiness and children if God blessed us with any. We also wanted to buy a small travel trailer because we sort of had that in our bucket list as well. Not immediately because we could not afford an expense like that at the time but like the Everly Brothers used to sing, “Dream.”
Our plans did include someday taking a trip on vacation days with our much hoped-for children. Another wish we also had was someday Shirley and I would together see Florida, California and maybe the Rockies.
These were our own bucket list hopes but unfortunately and sadly, they never happened.
What did happen is that on March 27, 1968, we were blessed with our first born, a darling baby girl. We did make a few vacation trips when our baby was able to travel because we did have a dependable car.
Shirley was required to resign her position as a full-time nurse but promised that she would be available to fill in during the summer of 1968. Shirley did work quite a bit during the summer that year, but in the fall, she became mysteriously sick and could not work anymore. Shirley was checked by a doctor but we just received inconclusive reports.
In 1971, on January 8, we were blessed with a son. Shirley was not working at this time, but we were happily moved into our own home and things were going fairly well. Then in 1974 we finally acquired our first trailer. Much discussion took place over this purchase but it was a once in a lifetime opportunity.
Shortly afterward on October 1, 1974, we were blessed with another son. He would be our last, but that was the way God planned it.
Time passed by and Shirley once more returned to her chosen profession, this was around 1980. We had not pushed our young plans away, but the children were growing up and we could only dream of reaching these far away places.
Around 1991 Shirley started to have health problems so serious that I was very worried.
My darling struggled to work whenever she could, but I could see she was not herself. By January, 1992, Shirley worked her last shift at the hospital and in the fall of that year after many tests locally she was requested to attend an appointment that in fact lasted for one whole month at the then Victoria General Hospital in Halifax. I stayed with her the whole month.
When Shirley was discharged from the hospital she was informed that she had Multiple Sclerosis, I had feared that before we ever went to Halifax but hoped I was wrong. I took Shirley home and for the next 23 years I tried my best to make her as comfortable as I could. We even made a journey with our little camper in 1993. I called this our sentimental journey.
From this time on we learned to appreciate the little but important things in life. The spring with all the new life tree, flowers and the tiny little animals. The summer with its warm weather, the fall with the beautiful autumn colours, and the snowy winter months.
I eventually purchased a specially equipped van and Shirley and myself would travel around the island when we could. Shirley’s health never really improved, but we did the best that we could. Shirley’s life on this earth ended on March 14, 2013, with her in my arms as I watched her wonderful, kind heart stop beating.
Shirley went on a journey that I could not go with her. She is now in paradise but I am not with her yet. Happy travels to you my darling, until we meet again.
PS, I am sorry it took so long to write this story but my heart was always too much for putting off what I should have written many years ago.