Saint Jean Baptiste, a Jewish preacher who baptized Jesus in the river Jordan.   He became the patron Saint of Quebec and French speaking Canada.    It’s officially known in Quebec as  “La fete Nationale.”  a holiday celebrated annually on June 24th,  today!     Long ago a prominent French Canadian  journalist attended St Patrick’s Day celebration  in Montreal and was inspired to create such an event for the French Canadians.   And so this started, it’s like the 4th of July in the USA.  Because of my French Canadian roots and the good feeling in my gut on June 24th, it’s a very nice day.  The weather has always been good on that day from what I remember, June is a most wonderful month in Quebec.

 

Satnam

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And so it started.  So to me, because of my roots in Montreal, it’s a good day.

Number 3 and number 4 grandsons.  Not brothers, but rather cousins,  first allies,  that completely understand and complement each other.  It’s amazing!  As their grandma I have always observed that,  but, never as much as now.  I decided on the name Dynamic Duo yesterday, I didn’t search for it.  It was just there. and I claimed it. From the dictionary dynamic means a Force that stimulates change or progress within a system.    You see I was blessed with 5 grandsons, soon to be 6.  And everyone of them bring a special quality to life.  It’s not just my grandsons, it’s all the youngsters of a new generation, they are the future leaders and we must pay attention to their needs.  The Dynamic Duo remind me of that every time they help me with the simplest things I cannot do anymore. And they are of  service to all with love in their hearts and can still go out to play!

Satnam,

We all go through that, we have stepping stones and road blocks, it’s inevitable.  It’s life, and we will continue going through changes that are not always pleasant.  I remember long ago listening to Dr Deepak Chopra, back as a new LMT.  I remember him saying ” Life is like a river that you go down in a boat.  You will bump on one side and the other and that’s ok.  The problem is when you get stuck on the banks of this river.  Then the flow of life stops, nothing happens, good or bad, you just remain in the same place, you stop growing. ” I never forgot that, it made so much sense to me.  When we get stuck we have to find a way to get rolling on the river again.  Some people prefer to make camp there and pretend to be happy. I just can’t.  Hard as it may be my girlfriend Kathe reminds me that God has a plan..  I trust that, but then it’s me.  How do you feel?  Such changes happened after the diagnosis, I had to make unpleasant decisions, quit working, sell my house at the suggestion of well meaning people.  I found myself with no money and homeless, not a good place to be.  Even more scary is the emotional adjustment I had to go through.  I still have not mastered that, don’t think I ever will.  Now I find that living at other people’s house is not for me.  After so much searching for happiness, so many classes to better my life, my sanctuary is gone and the things that are important to me are not respected by others, my independence seem to have vanished in the haze as John Lennon said in his song “Help.”  The gift of ALS is becoming aware and seeing people make the same mistake you did but they will not hear you, not until they go through their own life change.

Satnam