Cam Tait’s special prom
Throughout our lives we are blessed with special times that last with us for a lifetime.
They only happen once — and, sometimes, for a few hours.
They leave lasting imprints on our hearts, never to be washed away.
But, in our busy lives, how often do we pick up the telephone or pound out a few words in an email to say hello?
I was reminded of my Grade 12 grad — June 16, 1977 — and my escort earlier last week.
Her name was Janet King, a wonderful young lady whom I met in the winter of 1975. We formed a solid friendship — nothing romantic — and were there for one another through the good and bad times in high school.
I knew going into Grade 12 that I wanted Janet to be my date for my prom night. I was nervous to ask her, but mustered up the courage sometime in the early spring of the year.
To my extreme delight, Janet said yes.
The day of our grad was a nice June day and I will never forget being invited into her parents’ home in the Meadowlark area for a visit before making our way downtown for the banquet.
Janet looked so very regal in a white long dress as she sat down beside me in her living room and pinned a red rose on my lapel.
And from that moment on I felt this tremendous confidence to have someone sharing their greatest gift — their time — on such a significant day of my life.
The banquet at the Edmonton Plaza, now the Westin, was an unforgettable evening.
I was so proud to have Janet at my side.
Her quiet confidence helped reassure my hopes and dreams after high school would become realities.
After Grade 12, Janet and I kept in touch for three or four years and got together a few times a year to catch up and, perhaps more importantly, to look ahead into the future and talk about how we were going to get there.
We lost contact in the mid-1980s. Janet got married and then moved to Castlegar, B.C.
Yet, though I didn’t see her, I thought of Janet being such a big part of my grad night: When something great happened I knew she helped me get there — and when my world was falling apart, I would think of her calming nature and how — as she would say — everything would work out as it should.
We all can remember people who have been there when we needed them the most: graduations, births, weddings, funerals and so many other important times.
We always have the best intentions of getting in contact and saying hello — and, hopefully that greeting will let our friends know how much they mean to us.
I meant to call Janet over the years to tell her just that. I think about that a lot right now. Because on Jan. 26, Janet passed away from a heart attack.