Thirty years ago today Gail and I were married. So much has changed since that day…the table we used to set for two now gets set for ten when everybody is home. I’m a husband, a dad, a father in law and a papa. My grandson Lucas turned four last week and as I read him a bedtime story he told me that I am his bestest, bestest, bestest friend ever! Deep down, I hope that a part of me will continue on in him.
Gail and I were married at the Christian Church in Ridgetown and we had a reception at St. Mary’s Hall in Blenheim. As I sat here reflecting on the years that have passed, I began to think about the church, which was my childhood church and how they are moving forward with a plan to rebuild. And just as I hope that a part of me will live on in Lucas, I hope that something will carry on from the old church to the new one; something that will form its character.
I thought about St. Mary’s Hall and how the old hall will soon close. My good friend Adriaan has been telling us at curling how nice the new hall will be. A couple of weeks ago Annie Timmermans gave me a personal tour and I can tell you that Adriaan was right. There has been an enormous amount of planning and work put into transforming St. Mary’s School into St. Mary’s Hall…it’s already beautiful. I was glad to see the care that went into incorporating the old with the new. Even some of the pictures that were painted on the walls of the Kindergarten room will remain where they are. In the years to come, those pictures will bring smiles to the faces of former St. Mary’s students as they return to celebrate life events.
History is a record of events in the life and development of people and institutions and inside the walls of history are memories. My hat goes off to everyone whose insight would have included preserving memories in your renovations. I wish you all the best with the new hall.
