Sunday, January 27, 2008
Skiing with Micah
I felt like I hadn't seen too much of Micah this week, so yesterday was a great day spending time with him. We had our traditional Saturday morning breakfast with my friends and their kids downstairs, and then Micah and I went cross-country skiing in Gatineau National Park. Well, obviously Micah didn't ski...I carried him on my back which was a lot harder that I thought it would be! Micah thoroughly enjoyed himself, squealing "Whee..." and "Ooooh.." everytime we sped down a hill. It was an absolutely beautiful cold and sunny day and we skied to a part of the park where there was nobody else, just a beautiful snow covered forest and only the sounds of birds. It was good to be still and silent for a time. We missed Paula. She would have loved it.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Response to Paula's mom's letter
Here is a response to Paula's mom's letter that was published the following day in the Ottawa Citizen (click here).
By the way, somehow the ability to leave comments on the last two posts was somehow turned off...I've fixed that now.
By the way, somehow the ability to leave comments on the last two posts was somehow turned off...I've fixed that now.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
A letter from Paula's mom
Paula's mom wrote a beautiful letter in honour of Paula over Christmas that was published today in the Ottawa Citizen.
Traffic tragedy led to gift of life for six people
I am writing because I owe it to my dear daughter Paula Brouwer (Sharpe), who lost her life last spring after her car was rear-ended by a dump truck in Ottawa. And I want people who knew her to know that six others were given the gifts of life with her organ donations.
We had travelled to your city from British Columbia to spend the summer and celebrate many special events with Paula, our son-in-law, their 10-month old baby boy, and our son who lives in Toronto. On that tragic day, she was driving to have lunch her dad and me. With the baby in his car seat, her car was stopped, with the signal light on, to make a left turn off Prince of Wales Drive into the recreational vehicle park where our trailer was parked. As she waited to turn, a dump truck smashed into the back of her car.
Her dad was outside of our trailer waiting for her to arrive with our grandson. He heard the very loud bang but thought it was construction until he heard the sirens coming and stopping. He ran down to the corner praying it wasn't her car. Our grandson had some injuries and was treated in CHEO for a few days. Paula had severe injuries and died the following day at the Civic campus of the Ottawa Hospital.
She was only 31 years old.
She was a graduate of the University of British Columbia and had received many scholarships including one at the National Research Council in Ottawa. She played rugby for the Ottawa Indians Rugby Club for several years, most recently worked as a social worker with the Canadian Mental Health Association, and was involved in leadership at St. George's Anglican Church. She was loved by everyone who came in contact with her.
She donated all her organs which went to six different persons. Those who knew Paula and her generous spirit would know that providing others with another chance at a full life is exactly what she would have wanted. Whomever received Paula's heart is without doubt the luckiest person in the world. Life will never be the same for her family without our loving, caring Paula. I want her to be remembered by everyone in Ottawa, the city she loved and made her home in.
JUNE SHARPE, Port Coquitlam, B.C.
Traffic tragedy led to gift of life for six people
I am writing because I owe it to my dear daughter Paula Brouwer (Sharpe), who lost her life last spring after her car was rear-ended by a dump truck in Ottawa. And I want people who knew her to know that six others were given the gifts of life with her organ donations.
We had travelled to your city from British Columbia to spend the summer and celebrate many special events with Paula, our son-in-law, their 10-month old baby boy, and our son who lives in Toronto. On that tragic day, she was driving to have lunch her dad and me. With the baby in his car seat, her car was stopped, with the signal light on, to make a left turn off Prince of Wales Drive into the recreational vehicle park where our trailer was parked. As she waited to turn, a dump truck smashed into the back of her car.
Her dad was outside of our trailer waiting for her to arrive with our grandson. He heard the very loud bang but thought it was construction until he heard the sirens coming and stopping. He ran down to the corner praying it wasn't her car. Our grandson had some injuries and was treated in CHEO for a few days. Paula had severe injuries and died the following day at the Civic campus of the Ottawa Hospital.
She was only 31 years old.
She was a graduate of the University of British Columbia and had received many scholarships including one at the National Research Council in Ottawa. She played rugby for the Ottawa Indians Rugby Club for several years, most recently worked as a social worker with the Canadian Mental Health Association, and was involved in leadership at St. George's Anglican Church. She was loved by everyone who came in contact with her.
She donated all her organs which went to six different persons. Those who knew Paula and her generous spirit would know that providing others with another chance at a full life is exactly what she would have wanted. Whomever received Paula's heart is without doubt the luckiest person in the world. Life will never be the same for her family without our loving, caring Paula. I want her to be remembered by everyone in Ottawa, the city she loved and made her home in.
JUNE SHARPE, Port Coquitlam, B.C.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Rings
For those of you who have had a look at my hand you may have noticed that I wear Paula's wedding band on my little finger, beside my ring finger on which I still wear my wedding ring. This is very meaningful for me, as I have been wearing her ring since that tragic day when the nurse handed me a package of Paula's personal effects prior to her going into the emergency surgery to attempt to save her life. I remember instinctively putting on her rings on my little fingers as soon as I received them from the nurse. I think I continue wear her wedding band because it is so hard to contemplate the fact that I am actually no longer married.
However, there is a problem. The ring is slightly too big for my finger. It tends to slip off in the cold. Like tonight. I arrived back from a long drive from Hamilton to another snowstorm in Ottawa. After unpacking the car and bringing my things to the back entrance, I shovelled about 15 cm of snow off the driveway. When I was finished, Paula's wedding ring was no longer on my finger. As you can imagine, I freaked out and frantically and desparately (and hopelessly, really) looked for this small ring in all that snow, in the dark. I was devestated. Eventually I had to give up looking and went to bring my things from the back entrance up to my apartment. And.. lo and behold, there was Paula's ring on the floor beside my suitcase.
To be honest, I wasn't that surprised. This isn't the first time this has happened. A few weeks ago, I had a similar frantic moment when I realized the ring had slipped off. After a desparate search around my surroundings, I eventually found the ring in my coat pocket a few minutes later.
In the summer, while I was camping with some friends, I suddenly realized that I was missing one of Paula's rings I used to wear on my other litle finger (a beautiful Irish claddagh ring that her parents gave her). We were on a sandy campsite and I had no idea when or where I had lost it. After a hopeless search of the campsite, I had to give up looking for it. I remember being quite distraught and giving this loss of her ring much meaning, somehow symbolic of losing another piece of her. However, two months later I was cleaning out the backpack that I use for Micah's diapers and things and found this same ring at the very bottom of one of the seldomly used pockets.
I started out wearing all her rings that the nurse gave me at the hospital, her Irish claddagh ring, her wedding band, and the engagement ring I gave her when I proposed. After "losing" the claddagh ring in the summer, I decided I didn't want to risk losing the engagement ring. (Plus, the diamond ring looked pretty silly on my finger). The engagement ring is set aside should Micah ever want to use it. But I could not bring myself to not wear her wedding band.
Until tonight. I really thought I had lost it for good this time. I can't take that chance anymore. The third time I doubt I will be so fortunate. This ring is something I need to keep. However, I am sad that I won't be wearing it anymore. Not wearing this ring is somehow another sign or symbol of having to let her go. It makes me incredibly sad. However, at least I am giving it up on my terms and keeping it safe rather than losing it for good, never to be seen again.
However, there is a problem. The ring is slightly too big for my finger. It tends to slip off in the cold. Like tonight. I arrived back from a long drive from Hamilton to another snowstorm in Ottawa. After unpacking the car and bringing my things to the back entrance, I shovelled about 15 cm of snow off the driveway. When I was finished, Paula's wedding ring was no longer on my finger. As you can imagine, I freaked out and frantically and desparately (and hopelessly, really) looked for this small ring in all that snow, in the dark. I was devestated. Eventually I had to give up looking and went to bring my things from the back entrance up to my apartment. And.. lo and behold, there was Paula's ring on the floor beside my suitcase.
To be honest, I wasn't that surprised. This isn't the first time this has happened. A few weeks ago, I had a similar frantic moment when I realized the ring had slipped off. After a desparate search around my surroundings, I eventually found the ring in my coat pocket a few minutes later.
In the summer, while I was camping with some friends, I suddenly realized that I was missing one of Paula's rings I used to wear on my other litle finger (a beautiful Irish claddagh ring that her parents gave her). We were on a sandy campsite and I had no idea when or where I had lost it. After a hopeless search of the campsite, I had to give up looking for it. I remember being quite distraught and giving this loss of her ring much meaning, somehow symbolic of losing another piece of her. However, two months later I was cleaning out the backpack that I use for Micah's diapers and things and found this same ring at the very bottom of one of the seldomly used pockets.
I started out wearing all her rings that the nurse gave me at the hospital, her Irish claddagh ring, her wedding band, and the engagement ring I gave her when I proposed. After "losing" the claddagh ring in the summer, I decided I didn't want to risk losing the engagement ring. (Plus, the diamond ring looked pretty silly on my finger). The engagement ring is set aside should Micah ever want to use it. But I could not bring myself to not wear her wedding band.
Until tonight. I really thought I had lost it for good this time. I can't take that chance anymore. The third time I doubt I will be so fortunate. This ring is something I need to keep. However, I am sad that I won't be wearing it anymore. Not wearing this ring is somehow another sign or symbol of having to let her go. It makes me incredibly sad. However, at least I am giving it up on my terms and keeping it safe rather than losing it for good, never to be seen again.
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