Porte Photos’ Daily Quote: August 26th

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It’s funny;
as I get older
I’m reverting to my roots
– I want to plant stuff.

~ Melissa McCarthy
American – Actress Born: August 26, 1970

Porte Ponderings:

The day after my anniversary was my mother-in-law’s birthday. The day after we got married we went to visit her in the hospital. She had just had a toe removed due to diabetes and had to use a wheel chair at our wedding. But she was determined to attend – and she did.

My mother-in-law was a self determined woman who insisted on working and made sure her family came first. She lost her opportunity at 15 to become a teacher, after passing the standardized tests, when she became pregnant and married. From that point on she raised her children and worked for a better future for them.

After child #4 &5 her husband was never home and drinking, so she kicked him out until he managed to quit drinking and came back to the household and home. From that time on no alcohol was permitted in the house and my father-in-law refused to go out in public. He stayed home, except for work until he died far too young of cardiac arrest. I never had an opportunity to meet him.

She continued to work and got a contract to deliver the mail. She also got a contract to lock the door at the post office. West Lorne was the only town that hired someone to lock the door. Town people had a habit of sleeping there, so an automatic lock wouldn’t have ensured they were out before the doors locked.

My mother-in-law also was an active community member and was very active in the local legion.

Diabetes complications lead to kidney failure and death too early for this strong willed woman. Diabetes had stripped her of her independence bit by bit until it finally broke her.

Porte Photos’ Daily Quote: August 18th

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The longer your life goes on,
the more death you face.

~ Patrick Swayze
American – Actor August 18, 1952 – September 14, 2009

Porte Ponderings:

As Patrick Swayze said, the longer you live the more death you face.

It never gets easier to watch friends and loved ones die. Sudden death is the biggest shock for the survivors. My Mother’s death was the biggest shock as she died from a sudden cardiac arrest. She was literally here one moment, talking with me on the phone, then the next thing I knew the doctor was telling me she had died.

Other deaths have been less dramatic, with my Father slowly dying of cancer and waiting for the end.

Recently with the introduction of MAID, Medical Assistance in Dying, people can now choose to cut the long wait of terminal illness and pick their date with death. My brother-in-law chose this path when he was faced with cancer of the tongue. Diagnosed to late to be treated without major life altering effects, he chose to not have treatment. The day before his date with death he had all of his family over to visit and say goodbye.

A recent statistic announced said that 7% of deaths in Quebec are now MAID. More people aren’t dying because of MAID, but are arranging their death date using MAID and ending their suffering.

Porte Photos’ Daily Quote: August 15, 2023

Posted on by Porte Photos

I’m a writer.
An amateur photographer.
An actor.

~ Ben Affleck
American – Actor Born: August 15, 1972

Porte Ponderings:

The Ben Affleck quote reminds us of all the different roles we play.

For me at this moment in time: wife, mother, grandmother, photographer, kayaker, hiker, pet-owner, bird watcher, nature lover …

But these roles change over time. Adding different titles, while some disappear.

We also have our public roles and private roles, or should I say our work roles vs our hometime roles.

Here’s a toast to all your lifetime roles. 😉