A Month of Blogs Day 5 (Your Parents)

First off, they are dead. In 2 weeks mom will have been gone 13 years. Next month, dad will have been gone 33 years. It's been about 3 years since my brother died as well.

Dad was in the military when he met my mother. Soon after they got married, he got out of the military (he was a gunner - artillery), and became a police officer in North Battleford, Saskatchewan. I'm not certain how long he stayed on that force. He then moved to Regina, Saskatchewan to be a cop there. This was his home town BTW. After that he moved here to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan and was a cop for many years.

Dad was a kind man who was very charitable. He gave money out of each pay check to charity. He also gave his time to work with the army cadets in town.

Dad taught me to shoot and I became quite good at it. He also taught me to load my own shells and take care of a firearm and to handle it safely. He gave me the set or morals I've gone by my entire life. Most of what I am came from him in one way or the other.

Dad died of a heart attack in the car beside me while I was driving him home from the hospital in Regina. I have never stopped missing him, and never will.

Mom was born in Yourkton, Saskatchewan on a farm. She had 9 siblings and they all lived in a relatively small home. She really did walk 5 miles to school.

Moms first job was a school teacher, but it was not long lived. She then became a switchboard operator for a time. Next she worked in the lab at the hospital here in Moose Jaw testing blood. She then learned how to do EKGs and did that for years until she could no longer work.

Mom was a bit uptight at times and rather closed off. She hardly spoke of her feelings and her life. She was however a very loving and caring person. She could however not cook worth a darn.

Mom suffered from mental illness and it was managed properly and did not really effect her much.

Mom ended up with stage 4 cancer after years of being told she had a lung infection when in reality it was cancer and they just did NOT do their jobs right. She had a tragic death, slowly rotting away for a couple of years. I was there when she died.

I loved my parents will all my heart and still do. They are gone but not forgotten.