When I was a kid, we used to spend many weekends at Grugra and Baba’s cottage. To this day I can still feel the texture of the wood on the balcony under my feet, hear the trees in the wind, and feel the grooved lines of the throttle on the boat that Grugra taught me how to drive.
I will never forget him teaching me how to drive that boat before I could ever even think about driving a car. He trusted me enough to drive it with the family in the boat and scolded me when he caught me showing off for the girl at the cottage next door. He said “pay attention, you’re going to hit the rock, stop showing off!”
He always emphasized being humble and how important that was to life and I’ve always tried to remember that. Although we didn’t always see eye-to-eye on things, he was an important part of my childhood, and I think he made a mark on many people he came in contact with.
I’m not religious and neither was he, but I do believe that what religious people refer to as “the soul” is actually the energy that we all produce on a daily basis that keeps us alive and makes us different from one another. When we pass on, I believe that energy goes back into the universe to be used in the making of other things. Carl Sagan said, “We’re made of star stuff,” so maybe our energy makes its way back to stars eventually, or maybe we simply become the wind in the trees – I can’t say for sure.
Where we definitely are, is in the memories of the people who knew us, so in that sense, we never really go anywhere; we stay with those who loved and knew us till they are also released back into the universe.
My father was/is still A Star!
Gary and Carol
It was our pleasure to know both Martin and Nina at the Muldrew Lake cottage and to visit with them in Florida. We are sure that Muskoka has many happy memories for all of your family. Thinking of you with love.
Dorothy & Murray