Calgary: The journey begins...

I got the chance in Calgary to have breakfast with Kelly Johnson and Glenn Ryland who are our chaplains at the U of Calgary and Mount Royal U, respectively. I was hopeful about checking out the University of Lethbridge with them but it wasn’t going to work out.  I am continually struck with their quality and just how well their universities and faith communities are served by them.  Glenn is actually being hired full time by MRU on its faculty ( they love him that much) and will be able to continue his chaplaincy duties on a part time basis. 

Some random personal things....

I worked through my midlife crisis in four days. The rental company gave me a free upgrade to a Mustang GT 5.0.   It had been a long time since I had heard ( felt)  the roar and throb of a jacked V8.  It turns out that the 2011 GT is Ford’s pride and joy, the car critics' darling, and that it  can go from 0 to the traffic court in mere seconds.  Anyway.. got that out of my system.

Personal stuff. Helping my mom sort through meaningful things as she moves into a seniors' home. Thinking about what to bring back home that would be meaningful for the coming generations – especially for my daughters. China.. carefully packed and brought home. I also inherited Mom's little red car which would bring me back across the country. I took a lot of digital pictures of Mom's pictures....

My family when I was 11

My family when I was 35

Having helped my Mom find a suitable burial plot, we buried my father’s ashes. There had been a variety of complications that prevented this from happening before. .... Hope of resurrection. From dust to dust.  Ashes to ashes. He was a special man. A brother in Christ. Victorious in death. 

I got to meet David’s former boss who made it clear to me how much he thought of the boy and what he stood for. He too had lost a son and we were able to connect at the level of empathy. It is like finding a fellow compatriot in a foreign country. We spoke the same language and understood each other. Thank you, brother.