Stopped in my Tracks

Going back to my tendency of setting goals, I have decided that this house needs a thorough cleaning. I had intended to do so last Spring and then put it off to last Fall.....and here we are. It's Spring again and it can't wait any longer! Don't get me wrong, our house is organized(ish) and the main things are clean(enough). I'm talking about the big things like the walls and other surfaces that generally go by the wayside. And the amount of 'stuff' that we've accumulated has begun to pile up and cause me to feel a wee bit claustrophobic!

I'm not sure at my reasoning, but I decided to start the process in the basement. The furnace room and the back closet have been successfully cleaned and purged (trust me, it was more of an undertaking than one would think!). Yesterday, I made my way into the spare room. I thought this should be pretty easy. Other than all of my husband's work stuff that is crammed into the closet, this room is pretty sparse. I started dusting and organizing the two large bookshelves. As I was doing so, something fluttered to the floor at my feet. It was a picture of Heather and I.

One of the shelves holds a beautiful mahogany photo box that my husband gave me at my university convocation. It houses all of the pictures from my time at school in Saskatoon. I don't know why this particular photo was loose and out of the case, but seeing it stopped me in my tracks.

March of 2002, Heather had come with my family and I to the Psychology department graduation supper and program. However, when May rolled around and it was time for me to receive my degree, Heather was working at the U of S campus as a groundskeeper, so she wasn't able to come to the ceremony. We had gone to the campus to take some graduation photos and return my cap & gown. Then we headed across to Griffith Stadium where I knew she would be weeding.

Of course, given Heather's enthusiasm, she was excited to see me on this important day! So, we posed for this picture. She in her grubby work clothes and me in my fancy outfit. Happy, sharing the moment together.

No matter how busy I keep myself parenting, running, fundraising, blogging, cleaning, organizing, etc. Heather is still gone and my heart still hurts.

CANCER SUCKS.