THE IDES OF MARCH

Eighty-three year old Aileen, once a young red-haired Irish girl, leaned back in her rocking chair and looked up at the painting on the wall behind Cal, her hubby. She closed her eyes; there was a memory on her mind.

“I’m thinking about the story behind that painting, Cal.” She pointed. “Do you recall getting it way back in March 1958?”

“Um, just vaguely, honey. Fill me in.”

Aileen cleared her throat of the tears trying to choke off her voice. She knew Cal had trouble remembering so far back. His hearing wasn’t all that good either, so she pulled her rocker nearer to his recliner so he could hear her better.

“It was still like winter, but spring was just around the corner,” she began. “You had proposed to me, and I wanted to give you something memorable that we’d have for the rest of our lives. I went to the local art gallery in the strip mall. I hadn’t dared to go in before, because I figured everything would be out of my budget since we’d begun planning for our wedding. Oh Cal, I was so young. It excited me to think I’d be addressed by that old Gaelic name Mrs. Brady! I remember that, way back then out of courtesy, acquaintances used a married woman’s surname far more often than they do nowadays. Well, I got my courage up and, inside, I caught sight of that beautiful painting of roses. The colours made me do a double take. First I noticed the gorgeous flowers, then the stylized word, ‘Hope’ on the corner of the canvas.

“Yeah, something about that was very special to us, Aileen, but I can’t remember

what it was.”

“It was a good omen, and it was immediately imprinted on the mirror of my soul!”

“Oh, there you go, honey, letting that poetic heart of yours talk.” Cal liked teasing his wife.

“I studied the greenery and, as sure as our life would have thorns, so did the painting. The cool aquamarine tones of the curved ceramic vase the shape of a woman, like most vases are, held leafy foliage of variegated moss and forest greens. You don’t usually see those colours together with aquamarine. Also, I loved the tiny white Baby’s Breath peeking out from the mass of rich, velvety roses.”

The elderly couple gazed up at the framed work of art on their wall, and Aileen reminded her hubby that roses stand for lasting love and aquamarine symbolizes hope.

Long ago, at the gallery, a kind old gentleman had greeted the spritely patron and whispered, “That’s a very special piece.”

Aileen agreed with him, and he identified himself as Reginald Hope. To Aileen, the word ‘hope’ on the painting wasn’t just a simple signature; it made the piece very special to her. Indeed, it was even a significant part of the art. With its loops and curls, the word held a prophetic meaning; it offered a feeling, a sureness, and a divine message.

Aileen’s voice cracked a little, when she rambled on, with her emotions surfacing.

“The artist had said he was sending his good wishes through the painting. He was sober and reverent when he spoke about the love of his life, and that the

Story by Rita Joan Dozlaw

rose petals represented the years he’d shared with her! Imagine hearing that, Cal! I felt his sincerity when he told me that it was time to let the painting go just as he had to let his beloved Sharon go!”

Cal was astonished to hear the tender tale, because he’d forgotten the precious details that made the work of art so important to both of them.

“There was a rattle in his throat and a quiver in his voice when he shared that all those petals could now represent someone else’s loving years! ‘At least, that’s what I wish for whoever buys this one,’ he’d said.”

“Gee, I’m glad you’ve remembered all that!”

“Thanks. I dared to ask the cost ya know, and he grinned and stared directly into my face and asked, ‘so what’s the big occasion?’ I shared the good news that I was getting married, and because we’re both Irish, you and I hoped to honeymoon in Ireland.

I told him I’d been saving quarters to buy a wedding gift for you. He puffed on his pipe and snorted something like, you got big plans, little girl, but you’ll need a whole bouquet of four-leaf clovers and the luck o’ the Irish to achieve ‘em! He seemed warm-hearted, Cal, so as I laid the coins out on the counter for him to count, I explained that my deepest hopes were not only to make a trip but that our union under God would be forever. He was counting by fours when he suddenly stopped and pushed them all back across the counter to me and said. ‘I don’t need your quarters, my dear!’ I’ll never forget what he said after that.

‘My little wild Irish rose,’ he called me, ‘you kids can have this painting; it’s pretty old but I want you to have it… call it my wedding gift to you.’ What happened next had never happened to me before. He lifted my hand and kissed it and said, ‘kiss a blarney stone for me, my dear, and have a happy hopefilled life!’ Wrapping it up, he wished us a splendid wedding and trip across the pond to those awesome green hills of Ireland!

Noticing Aileen’s tears, Cal got up from his chair, leaned into the rocker, swiped her cheeks with Kleenex, and pulled an arthritic hand from her lap and kissed it. “Most of our hills and valleys have been green, haven’t they honey!”

The Bradys stood in front of their old painting and counted petals as they often had done when anniversaries rolled around. It was March, 2023, and through poor sight and blurry tears, they counted sixty-five petals… with many more to go

Welcome Jack Bell

Welcome Jack Bell

The Kamloops Connector is pleased to welcome Jack Bell to our team as general manager and sales consultant, adding to his role at Kamloops This Week Jack will be using his sales experience in newspaper and book publishing to ensure our clients' needs are well taken care of.

The Kamloops Connector is pleased to welcome Jack Bell to our team as general manager and sales consultant, adding to his role at Kamloops This Week. Jack will be using his sales experience in newspaper and book publishing to ensure our clients' needs are well taken care of.

"It's great to be back and I look forward to working with our clients,” said Jack, a longtime Kamloops resident with years of experience in sales and marketing.

"It's great to be back and I look forward to working with our clients,” said Jack, a longtime Kamloops resident with years of experience in sales and marketing.

To advertise with The Connector, call Jack at 778-471-7526

To advertise with The Connector, call Jack at 778-471-7526

Completing your Will and Estate Planning in three simple steps

Submitted by Erin Chambers, Life Coach/End of Life Doula

If you have ‘stuff’, chances are that, at the very least, you have thought about what might happen to your assets after you die. Maybe you’ve even tossed out a comment at a family get-together, mentioning your wishes to ‘that’ person about what their future potential responsibilities could be. Unfortunately, this is where most people pause. Thoughts and conversations are not enough. Your plans and wishes need to be documented.

Step One: Take Inventory. Connect and Reflect.

What assets do you have? Do you need to consider guardianship? Who can ‘take charge?’ You need to not only think about who will follow your wishes but, more importantly, who do you trust?

Step Two: Gather information and have conversations.

Where is your important paperwork? What names, contact information, possible instructions are necessary AND are they up-to-date? Start a list. Talk to your person-let them in on your