Tag: dailyprompt

“We don’t say goodbye”

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Describe the last difficult “goodbye” you said.

I’ve always been told by my elders that we don’t say goodbye. We say see you later or we’ll see you again or see you soon. My understanding of this is because goodbye is final. Goodbye is what you say when you will no longer see a person.

There have been many times when it felt like I was never going to see a person or speak to them again. The last truly difficult goodbye was the last time I spoke to my cousin on the phone. He was in the hospital with covid. He was immunocompromised as he’d had a double lung transplant several years before.

When he got his new lungs, he was so grateful. He told me, “These lungs belonged to a young man, I’m going to live a life because of his gift.” He did. He and his girlfriend got married. They went places and most of all he went fishing. He loved fishing.

When he got sick with covid, he couldn’t have lots of visitors. He had his wife and my dad on his list. We talked a lot. He would send me photos of the treatments they gave him. Then he wasn’t getting better. The last time we talked on the phone when we were close to saying goodbye, I said “well we’d better say goodbye soon.” I didn’t even think about what I had just said to him, but he did. He said, “Ho, remember we don’t ever say goodbye. Don’t ever say goodbye. I’ll see you again.” “Yes, I forgot, ” was my reply. We talked a lot longer, and I told him my husband was taking me to Jasper for my 50th birthday and that I wasn’t sure what the cell service was going to be like. I told him I’d talk to him when I got back.

On my birthday my parents called me, they said that his wife had called and asked them to come to the city to be with them. My cousin passed away the next day. When my mum called me to tell me he had died, all I could think of was, “we don’t say goodbye, we never say goodbye, I’ll see you again.” On our hike that day, I walked to a beautiful spot, took a photo, put some tobacco, and prayed for him. When we buried him, it was hard. That was the last difficult goodbye.

Moccasins

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My favorite piece of footwear isn’t actually shoes

My favorite shoes aren’t actually shoes. They are moccasins. They are comfortable and warm. I have 3 pairs. I’ll tell you about them.

One pair has beaded wolf tracks and soft rabbit fur. These were made from home tanned hide. When the box arrived, it smelled so good. It reminded me of good things from my childhood. They travel with me, and I wear them indoors wherever I am. The other 2 pairs are wrap around style.

The next pair I bought comes from a lady in High Prairie. They are made from home tanned hide. I bought them from her when I finished my bachelor’s degree. They are warm and comfy. They remind me to walk with a good heart and to be considerate of others. I wear these ones to ceremonies and when I’m learning something important.

The last pair is a beautiful teal blue. These are commercially tanned and dyed. They have beautiful beaded flowers. They are to remind me that I’m still here. I bought them after I finished my chemotherapy. They came from BC. I wear them anytime I’m doing anything related to the ovarian cancer that I had.

All these moccasins remind me to have hope. To walk in a good way. To have a good heart. To be considerate of others and that I am still here. My moccasins have taken me many places, but most of all, they bring me to a good place in my heart.

A perfect day

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Describe your most ideal day from begining to end.

I wake up, the sun is shining. There’s a slight breeze and I can go sit by the campfire outside. I drink tea listening to the sounds of the bush, the lake and the fire. The people I love are close by enjoying themselves and there is nothing but right now. All through the day everyone lives in the moment, the laughter and happiness is true. The day ends with a beautiful sunset, I sit by the fire listening to the night sounds drinking tea. I hear the bush, the lake, and the fire. I take a deep breath. Those I love are close by and there is nothing but this moment.