Today I reflect on my cherished moments because June 17th has several moments that have touched my core. Seven years ago today, Gianni and I spent an incredible week in Montreal watching the Grand Prix with dad and mom. All his life, dad was so passionate for Formula 1 racing. He would get up early for every race and even though we knew he probably wouldn't remember much of the weekend at the Montreal Grand Prix, we knew watching him in the moment is would give us joy. That week flew by but that smile on dads face touched our hearts.
Six years ago today I held dad for the last time while he took his last laboured breathe. I know you say how can this be a cherished moment, well it was, because when you see a loved one slowly be taken away by Alzheimer’s you pray for the moment that they don’t have to suffer anymore. Daddy has become my forever angel now and I will always cherish the moment that I held him last.
This month I reached a goal of raising $10,000 for this horrible disease that not only took away my daddy but is now slowly taking my mom. For those that have loved ones going through Alzheimer’s or Dementia, cherish the moments you have with them. Yes it is hard when they don’t know who you are or pick you up and throw you against the wall, but that isn’t them. When you are with them reflect on life as it was prior to the disease and keep those memories at the forefront because if they could, that is what they would want you to remember. If you would like to help support the continued research for a cure please consider donating to Alzheimer’s Society.
Today I also reflect on 25 years at TELUS where I’ve had so many opportunities to grow beyond what I thought I was capable of. If you told me 25 years ago that I would design and implement as well as install customer telephone systems, I would say you were crazy. All I knew was accounting back then and was so afraid to move from DOS to Windows. But BC TEL now TELUS took a chance on me and I’ve grown in so many ways. The people I’ve worked with have been inspirational, motivating, and genuinely great to work with. For 21 years I lead incredible teams that challenged me and gave me so much gratification. I’ve had incredible leaders that saw something in me and pushed me to strive harder. Yes, I’ve also had leaders and peers that were biased against women in this very technical world, but thankfully they are gone and I’m still here. Today I’m so grateful to have a job where I promote wellness and help with people and culture activities. 25 years later, it truly is the best company to work for.
June 17th will always be a cherished moment. I’ve grown in more ways than I can say having been hired at TELUS and yes I miss my daddy more than life can say but the moments that have taken my breathe away are the moments that have made me the person I am. Cherish your moments and never forget, the hard ones are the ones the make us stronger. Here are photos of our time in Montreal. Thank you daddy for instilling the love of Formula 1 in me.
