In last year’s Father’s Day edition, I spoke about my annual tradition of teeing up a golf ball for my dad on the anniversary of his passing. It’s been 22 years now, and while I usually tee up the golf ball at Stonebridge Golf Club, this year I had a chance to capture the moment from Mont Tremblant where I knew he would have had a great game.
The first two weeks of June are typically an emotional rollercoaster for me. I think this may resonate with some of you at certain times of the year. For me it’s June: June 5th is my dad’s birthday, June 6th, the day he died of a sudden heart attack and then less than two weeks later, Father’s Day.
Back in 2002, you could add my wedding a week later to the mix. Time heals of course, but between the commercialization of the holidays and the work we do with our storytelling, there is always an emotional tug of war and a sense of longing.
This year we introduce you to the MacDonald family who don’t ever take Father’s Day for granted. Their family motto, “Fall down seven times… and get up eight,” you will learn this plays a huge part in the determination and willpower for dad Steve to fight another day. Read here.
It reminds me of a family motto that I have long lived by, and one which my dad and I shared. “Do not pray for an easy life, pray to be a strong person.” This quote hung in my childhood bedroom with the image of the famous gymnast Nadia Comaneci on the balance beam. I saw it every night before I closed my eyes and every morning when I woke up. I have always jotted it down in every journal or notebook I start and most importantly placed it on my dad’s footstone. There is no religious undertone for me, rather that we must accept everything life throws at us and be proud of how we come through it. Overcoming obstacles and challenges is what makes us who we are.
Again, thank you to Waterdon Construction for once again matching your Father’s Day donations. While we love bringing you patient stories, we know how important it is to share the success, developments and communications from within the Ottawa Heart Institute itself. On May 29th ,1984, the Heart Institute completed its first heart transplant. This year marks the 40th anniversary of this remarkable achievement and we wanted to share with you how this was showcased and celebrated at the Institute. Click to learn more.
A massive congratulations to our 118 participants who took part in the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend. It was a record year, bringing in more than 30k for the Heart Institute. Your reasons for signing up along with your personal goal setting have been an inspiration for us all.
We now look ahead to the Wilbert Keon Memorial Golf Tournament on July 15 th and begin to dive into our plans for the 5th annual JUMP IN™ for women’s heart health. It’s crazy how time flies and to think that we are now looking at year five. We hope you will join us again this September for this important 30-day challenge which helps shift the conversation around women’s heart health. We can’t wait to surpass the million-dollar mark for funds raised come September with your help.
School is almost out and summer plans are being finalized and the smells of summer are all around us. From the backyard BBQ’s to freshly planted flowers to the sunscreen lathered on. Even the bug spray ignites memories of summer. I can’t wait to embrace all the flavours.
Wishing you a wonderful start to the summer,