Carter left poignant message on a baseball
It was an extraordinary find on an ordinary day.
On Valentine’s Day, I began the daunting task of shedding the belongings of my late husband, who passed away suddenly last March 16. Previously unable to part with any precious item beyond those claimed by our children, I woke up on the day devoted to love and lovers with a renewed energy to move forward while embracing my past.
Going through my husband’s clothing, softball trophies, marathon medals, golf gear and hockey memorabilia, I came upon the majorleague baseball. Encased in Plexiglas, I noticed it was autographed. A gift from my nephew, it was given to my husband in 2005 shortly after he was diagnosed with a rare chest tumour.
At the age of 62, my husband would undergo highly invasive and complex surgery followed by radiation therapy. Complications arose after treatment that would have him spend 10 terrifying nights in intensive care at the Montreal General Hospital. His recovery to better health was truly remarkable.
An avid Canadiens fan, my husband was incredibly proud that his surgeon was the incomparable Canadiens team doctor, David Mulder, a physician whose superb skills are perhaps only surpassed by his compassion and humanity.
For the next 5½ years, my husband and I went on with the business of life, family and routine. There were joys and sorrows that would shape our days and our thoughts. We would rejoice at the weddings of two children and the blessing of the birth of our first granddaughter. There would be three other grandchildren to follow, and one baby on the way at the time of his passing.
In those “gift years,” as we called them, I would lose my father to heart disease while my mom became lost to me through Alzheimer’s disease. Always we carried the burden of uncertainty about the future, yet we were also given the special gift of treasuring the precious moments and milestones. A simple walk on a beach had mystical beauty; our conversations became more spiritual and profound.
On March 3 last year, we celebrated a milestone anniversary in Paris. Mel was quite well, and the vacation was spectacular. Our photos reflected magical moments full of affection and joy. One week after returning from Paris, my beloved husband passed away at home in his sleep.
With poignant irony about the fragility of life, I picked up the forgotten baseball and read: “To Mel, Best of Luck, God Bless You, Gary Carter.” Nancy Hain Dollard des Ormeaux