Continuing to move forward

Time forces you to keep moving forward which is a good thing. I still feel somewhat in the midst thinking that Ed is needing my help but he is now with God and the Angels. It will take me time not to wish that he is still with us. Tying up his research and passing it on will be my next venture but it was to be done together over the next couple of years so shock is still with me that he is gone; so fast so quickly. Mother Nature is both kind and cruel; Edward suddenly reached that point in his life where his health so quickly disappeared totally unexpectedly although his illness meant he was vulnerable and he was peacefully taken from us which was a gift. 

We talked a little about how to celebrate his life and I will begin to look at that over the next little while. He had a number of favourite charity donations including the Montfort Hospital, the Ottawa Hospital, the Heart Institute which was a change from his earlier favourites. He especially appreciated the Heart Institute for their life saving surgery on him in 2012 when the pacemaker was inserted. But he also appreciated the Montfort Hospital where he spent several sessions during the past couple of years. His time in the Ottawa Hospital was less but they too were supportive of him. For me the memory of two nurses (Paulo and his friend) who painstakingly changed his bandages one more time will always be with me. I just wanted the gauze and soaking pads replaced and they did the task so gently that Edward never even made a sound. He was peaceful but awake for the entire process. I think that any memory items probably need to be directed at those institutions as well as others. His favourite Museum was the Nature Museum here in Ottawa and I may think of something there as well over time. One of his joys was the time that he spent as Treasurer and Choir Member at Orleans United Church (over twenty years) and he also mentioned that to me as a memory item.

My next task is to start the switchover to my name of the many items that were in his name. Only when all of that is done can I move forward with his collection of material.