April 22, 2013

one last thing before i go

I first began this blog as a creative outlet for me to take a moment and admire, talk and find inspiration in all things fashion and beauty. And while it still serves and such, I would like to take a moment to admire and talk about someone who will hopefully inspire you in some way.
Recently, I lost a person very dear to me in my family through a tragic event nobody could have been able to foresee. It felt like a very bad, realistic dream, and even today it's still hard to believe that out of all the people in the world, she had to be the one to go. After hearing the news, my family and I packed our bags and headed up 7 hours East, to the small community of Kimberley, BC, to be with the rest of our family and celebrate the life of an amazing woman. It was there I realized, that not only was this person important to me in my life, she had affected the lives of thousands of others. People gathered from all over the country, and further, to say goodbye and it had me wondering: how could a single woman, who stood no taller than five foot four, have had such an impact on so many lives? Although I had knew the answer all along.
My auntie Debbie was, for lack of a better term, a ray of sunshine. No matter where she went, when she went there, she could light up a room with her exuberant personality. When summing up an individual's life at times like these, most would say things such as how happy they were and how they lived such a fulfilled life, but to say these things about Deborah Blais, would be an understatement. From conquering breast cancer, to giving back to the community in so many ways, she had an innumerable amount of friends and family whom she touched deeply daily, and all of whose lives are slightly dimmer today. She truly lived the life others only aspire to have. Auntie Debbie had a love of music and was a very gifted vocalist. Other than my parents, she was probably my biggest fan and every time I saw her, she would always ask for an update on how my singing was going. She would never pass up an opportunity to hear me sing, although I don't know how she could even hear me over her proud tears and squeals of delight.
When it came time for the actual funeral service this past Saturday, I was in awe of how many people occupied the entire auditorium from every single seat, to people crowded outside the doorways, filling the lobby area outside. Everyone was there because of her and the beautiful life she led. It was the most heart-warming service, filled with tears, laughter and even bursted with life. I felt truly honored to be there, because that's how you should feel to have had this wonderful person in your life. I sang my last song for my auntie Debbie that day. It was a song that immediately came to my head the moment I heard the news of her passing, that I never could understand why I thought of it, due to the fact I hadn't actually heard the song before. But as I looked deeper into the message and lyrics of the song, it was more like she was singing the song to me, rather than me to her. She was telling me, and everyone who was listening, to remember all the wonderful times she spent with us and not to dwell on the sadness no matter how much we are sad; because life goes on and then it ends, and just like a song on the radio cut-off too early from the turning off of an engine of an old pick up truck, as was her life. So keep on living your life to the fullest, just as she did. I'm sorry but she YOLO'd (yes, I just used YOLO as a verb) the shit out of her life, and even though I will never understand why she was taken from us that fateful day, and how I only wish I could sing one last song with her, I plan on living my life like she did. I plan on being "more like Deb". 
If these words meant anything to you, I hope it was a reminder of how delicate life is, and how it could be cut short at any instant. If it was, are you able to look back with a satisfied smile? Can you leave knowing the people you leave will be okay in the end all because they knew you? More importantly how are you reading this? 



1 comment:

  1. I'm so sorry for your loss. She sounds like a wonder Auntie. Xx

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