Good Bye Mom

I have been blessed with many things in my life and one of the greatest of my blessings has been my mom. I am an only child and so I had my mom and dad to myself and enjoyed all the spoiling. They were both great parents who loved in their own ways. I have an incredible respect for my mom. Everyone should love their mom but I really mean it when I say that I respect her. Even though she has had bad osteoporosis for years and was constantly breaking bones in her back, up until last year she was still doing yard work and driving around an older lady on her street. She visited and encouraged people with cancer. She talked with younger people on her street who came to her with their problems. Mom was very good to us as well. She helped us to buy our first house and was constantly spoiling our children. When others began to question our wisdom of bringing more children into our family, my mom saw them as more opportunities to spread blessings. My father died five years ago and never met our three youngest children but mom made sure to make up for it.

Yesterday, April 24 2009, my mother passed from this world and entered into the presence of God. She had been sick for some time and her last week was particularly difficult. I am thankful for the care she received from the Meaford Hospital and St. Joseph's Hospital in Hamilton. I am thankful for the many prayers that have been spoken on behalf of our family. I am thankful for people who have helped out with taking care of the children. I am thankful for the freedom my churches have given me to be with my mom. I am thankful for my wife Amanda who has done so much work getting all the details together. I am thankful for God's strength in the midst of my weakness. I am thankful that my mom was Audrey Edythe Bedard.

Her funeral will be on Tuesday, April 28 at 11:00 am at Lambe-Bocchinfuso Funeral Home in Thorold, Ontario.