Jumping Over Potholes

Quel Mazzolin di fiori - traditional Alpini song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NS38HgcJBaI

Most of you will not understand the words or the meaning behind this song. Hint: it's in Italian. :)

But even those who do understand the lyrics and be able to sing along as well may not get why I chose to use this song for this particular post. 

Stella Alpina - photograph of real thing
Folklore states that this flower is a gift to a
loved one as a promise of dedication.

Well, the Italian heritage is a good part of it but more importantly for me it is the symbol of a happy and simple time in my life where there was beauty and laughter. This is one of the songs that sparked my life long love affair with traditional Italian folk songs.

Not all rainbows and sunshine. For the one thing that was missing, was Dad (Dante). The wearer of the traditional Alpini hat and singer in the drunken choir at family gatherings. 

My mother took on the role of teaching us the language, traditions and songs of Dad's family. For although Mom was also Italian, she was from a different region. She embraced the family heritage and immersed us into it with family, friends and celebrations that made us feel a normal part of our world, despite Dad was not with us.

And that was my life. Two sisters (Sandra and Linda), a brother (Ron), a dog (Scamp) and a Mom (Livia) who was the glue that held us together. But it wasn't meant to stay that way. I wish I had known.

There was a lot I didn't know. 

1) The struggles Mom and Dad endured just to be together - their union was not approved by Mom's mother. They persisted and eloped on January 9th 1960. 

2) I didn't know that Nonna (Italian grandmother, Mom's mom) blamed Dad for killing her son. Dad died on February 17th 1964, in a horrific car/train accident that also claimed the life of his brother-in-law. He left behind a wife with 4 children ranging in age from 3 years to one month old.

3) I didn't know that the lawsuit that ensued lasted for

5 gruelling years and ended in a loss because of an incompetent lawyer. 

4) In 1969 as the last of the trial appeals were being exhausted and Mom tried to return to her profession as a teacher but was denied a position as the rules had changed and she now needed a university degree to go with her Teachers College certification. 

5) We were not well off financially and required assistance at times. I never questioned why sometimes our food came in boxes instead of grocery bags and included toys. 

6) I remember the day after Christmas 1972 when Mom discovered a lump on Ron's neck. Chaos ensued, there were a lot of hospital trips and suddenly Mom wasn't around much anymore. She was with her only son, enduring surgeries, treatments, diagnosis and endless sleepless nights dealing with the new reality in our life. Ron had Hodgkins Disease. Without cancer in the name, it was like the flu that he would get better. We never saw him at his worse. His treatment were in Rochester Minnesota at the Mayo Clinic. We were left behind and in the dark. We wouldn't have understood. We were kids too.

7) When Mom left to go to the Mayo Clinic without Ron we didn't know that it was a nervous breakdown - maybe more?  

But what I did know is that we were loved and we were valued. We could walk out of the house any day with our heads held high. Proud of our family, heritage and the Dad we didn't know. 

If the days weren't sunny, Mom turned on the light with her brightest and biggest smile and we knew it was going to be okay. Her laughter made the worst days seem a little less so. 

Like when I cut my foot and required stitches and she arranged a surprise party for me. Just family singing and laughing. When she got angry and chased us around the house with the wooden spoon until we were in a heap laughing. 

She hit a deer once on her way to Rochester for her own appointment and when she told us about it on the phone, she was laughing. I was so mad at her then but now I remember that laughter as a symbol of her character. She was okay. It could have been worse.

And it got a lot worse. On a day, like today, March 21st, 42 years ago it got a lot worse. She wasn't okay anymore. And my sweet, beautiful sisters wouldn't be either. 

It was March break, there was some snow on the ground. Ron had an appointment in Rochester. Mom turned it into a family trip. We left Thunder Bay late. We stopped for supper at Perkins in Duluth. We called Nonna to tell her where we were. 

An hour later, at 8:55pm, it was the end of life as I knew it. 

In the blink of an eye, the sky darkened like a solar eclipse that wouldn't quit. Mom was 34, Sandra was 13, Linda was 10. They would be no more. 

A truck driver (for unknown - to me - reasons) hit us from behind as we travelled down the interstate. The crash was spectacular and continued as we were pushed down the road for 250 feet before becoming airborne for an additional 80 feet and finally plunging 13 feet, taking a 180 turn to land on the roof of the car. The transport truck finally dislodged when we became airborne and landed on the other side of the divided highway. 

Seconds really. And then, Linda is crying and pleading for help. Mom tries to console and says "Don't breath". Sandra is silent. That is all.

A tugging on the sock of my foot. I crawl in that direction, leaving the inferno that had me mesmerised. My brother. A vision, standing there with one sock in his hand. We climb the embankment and watch the flames, not completely aware of what we are seeing. We speak. Maybe we don't. We rise to go back to get others. We are stopped and made to go into the police car. 

Racing to the hospital, we pray. Our prayers are not fulfilled.

In the hospital being treated for the injuries I suffered, I answered the question "Why". Mom died, because Dad wanted her to be with him. They loved each other so much and worked so hard to be together. Sandra died, because - well, you know how parents are with first-borns. Dad knew Sandra best and missed her. Linda died because she was only 1 month old when Dad died and he wanted to get to know her. 

That was my Mom's attitude coming through. Could be worse. I told myself, at least I had my brother. I wasn't alone. 

It took a long time to accept my new life, my fate. A lot of years wasted on anger. A lot of time fighting back against the hurt. Knowing "Why" doesn't mitigate the pain. It just means that the demons you fight are within you, because you have no one to blame. 

I thought I had it together but in reality I was punishing myself, denying myself a life I deserved. 

It wasn't easy, because while I managed to jump over some potholes, I fell into others. 

A little more broken and a lot more stubborn I crawled out again and again until finally an angel came into my life and made me realize that I am okay and I can make a difference. I can be proud of who I am again, I can be loved and I have love to give. And with that I found that my heart had love for another child. My blessings. 

It's been easier since that time to see that the dark cloud above me had some very bright stars in it shining down on me. Including, my brother Ron's - who joined them in 1984. I get now that darkness is okay, because it lets us appreciate the light of day. 

But a balance would be nice. 

The power of positive thinking kicks in and I am reminded that the first day of spring, while a sad day for me, is a day when we will see longer days with more sunshine and less dark. I need to remember that. Still.

Time does not heal. It makes remembering easier...sometimes. On a day like today I let the tears flow. 

Stella alpina
https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leontopodium

Ron Sdraulig: Another Time Another Place - Part 2

Wouldn't It Be Good - Nik Kershaw

Ron Sdraulig March 1984

Ron Sdraulig: Another Time, Another Place

By: Gigi Sdraulig

Part Two

One-quarter mile north of Hinkley, Minnesota on Interstate 35, at 8:55 pm, we were rear-ended by a Geno’s Frozen Foods tractor-trailer. He rode up on the trunk of the car, causing the gas tank of our car to drag along the ground, explode and start on fire. We were pushed down the road for 250 feet, crossing into the left lane before becoming airborne for another 80 feet (and an estimated air speed of 60 mph) landing upside down on the opposite bank of the Grindstone River – 15 feet below the roadway. The transport truck came to rest partially on the riverbank and partially on the northbound roadway of the divided highway. I remember Mom telling us not to breath the thick smoke, Linda was pleading for help. Sandra was silent and I believe either thrown from the vehicle or dead from the impact. I remember staring at the flames to my left (through the rear windshield). I was dazed and didn’t know what had happened. I felt a tugging at my foot and then my sock came off. I was pulled at until I was able to squirm my way out of the mangled wreckage and was safely out.

Sandra watching over me, Ron and Linda 1973

 It was Ron. He had saved my life! We didn’t speak. The noise of the crackling fire was deafening. The heat was intense. We slowly made our way up the embankment a ways and stared at the burning car. Without speaking a word we both rose and were on our way back down to the car to get the others when the first Highway Patrolman came upon the scene. He wouldn’t let us any closer. Then reality hit and we cried for our family to come out. We were quickly ushered into the patrol car and were headed to the nearest hospital. On the way, word came over the police radio, that a woman had emerged from the car (that woman turned out to be Jenny). My brother and I cried, he suggested we pray that it was Mom. Through tears, I said that I couldn’t because my hands hurt. But will overcame pain and my severely burned hands went together in prayer. Mom would be okay, she just had to be. At the hospital and on the stretcher, the ER personnel started to cut off my clothes. I had no idea that I was injured – just my hands hurt – and I complained that I did not want my favourite jeans and sweatshirt ruined. In fact, I had suffered third plus degree burns to my hands, face, left arm and left leg. I was immediately transferred to Miller-Dwan Hospital’s Burn Unit back in Duluth. Torn clothing was of little consequence to those who knew my life was in the balance.

Waking up in that hospital bed, the first thing I saw was Ron, standing at my bedside. We talked about Mom, Sandra and Linda. I knew I had been transferred and so we surmised that they were alive but just more seriously injured and unable to make the trip to the second hospital where ever it was that we were. We believed we would be reunited soon. It didn’t happen that way. I got the “You’re a big girl…” talk from my Uncle (mom’s brother). They were all gone. My best friends, Sandra and Linda and my Mom. All gone to be with Dad.

Alone with my news, I cried like I never cried before. My world was completely shattered. I felt no physical pain but I felt my heart rise into my throat and fall into pieces like the tears streaming down my bandaged face. There was no way, that at that age I could attempt to comprehend the gravity of the situation. I didn’t know what it meant to have third degree burns and I certainly didn’t know how to deal with the sudden and devastating loss of nearly ever member of my family. I cried. I felt sorry for myself and I pleaded for answers. Why?  

Oddly enough, growing up believing that Dad was in Heaven with the angels helped me to deal with my plight. When I asked God “Why?” I got from within myself an answer that made sense. Mom and Dad were very much in love and went through a lot to be together – they missed each other, so she died so she could be reunited with her love. Sandra died because she was the oldest – you know how parents are about their first-born, Dad wanted her with him. And Linda, she died because she was the baby that Dad never knew and he wanted to get to know her. I didn’t like it, I was still angry but I felt like I understood why. That understanding allowed me to let go of some of the bitterness that I felt at the time. I didn’t want to be the one left. But I went further than that. Ron was not injured in the accident, save for minor burns on his ears and I decided that was because God had thanked him for saving my life by taking away his injuries, besides he had enough to deal with because of his cancer.                                            

Ron and I spent many hours as he sat at the foot of my bed just talking and trying to deal with it all. In the beginning my eyes were swollen and bandaged shut, so I didn’t so much see him as sensed his presence. In the relative seclusion of my hospital world, I was not confronted with the reality of life without Mom. Ron had returned to school promptly and was adjusting to our “new” life with Nonna and Nonno moving into our family home and assuming guardianship. An Aunt from Thunder Bay left her own two children in the care of her husband (my dad’s brother) and came to spend time with me. She made me laugh, she helped me heal, she told me I laughed just like my Mom. She reminded me of better times and helped me to see some hope for the future. After spending nearly three months in the hospital, I was released. I had to go back and face school friends as a totally different person. I was an orphan with a tragic past and I carried the scars of my life plainly for all to see. Generally, people were either kind or stayed away, but some hurt with comments and stares. I was accepted by most of my friends. Many didn’t know what to say. I couldn’t help them; I didn’t know what they could have said. What do you say to a 12-year-old orphan whose appearance you barely recognize any longer?

Being so visibly scarred by the accident was in some way therapeutic for me. I had to talk about it. All of my life people have asked what happened. I re-told the story so many times that I was often concerned that I sounded callous speaking so matter-of-factly about something so devastating. Dwelling in my sorrow was not my style. From the very beginning I found the silver lining in the dark clouds. I still had my brother. Although severely burned, it certainly could have been worse. And I did survive. Truth be told, just barely. Despite all the trauma we had endured, there was no mental after-care. There was no social workers who monitored the adjustment period. Ron and I were left to our own devices to cope in any way we were able. Unbeknownst to me, talking about it was the only therapy I would know.

For Ron it was different. No one knew that behind his mischievous grin lurked a boy in a lot of pain. Sadly, I was not there for him either. Ron and I were not particularly close before the accident. The four of us paired off. Linda and I (both very feminine) versus Sandra and Ron (both more sports orientated). Life was a great deal different with Nonna that with Mom. Nonna followed the old Italian school of beliefs that held that boys had more and different privileges from girls. Mom grew up this way (and from all accounts suffered because of it) and determinedly raised her children, girls and boys, equally. After 12 years of being raised “New-fashioned” it was not easy to conform to these odd rules. I rebelled and argued constantly. I am very strong-willed! To this day, I maintain that I basically raised myself in accordance with Moms’ ideas. All this open battling had a detrimental effect on Ron’s and my relationship. We had frequent arguments because he did not understand why I was being so difficult. At the time I couldn’t put it into words myself. He had everything he needed (including freedom for a boy his age) and could not understand my attitude.

Ron 1977

 He had everything he needed that is except his Mom. I had no idea of the internal turmoil that he dealt with daily. What child doesn’t want his Mom by his side when he is sick or hurting? He needed his Mom. Ron and Mom had developed a very close relationship during those long hours in doctors’ waiting areas and in hospital rooms. Ron knew things about Mom as a person, as a wife to Dad, as a single parent that no one else in the family did. But, his trips to Rochester continued on without Mom, Nonna took him now. He had more operations, chemotherapy, painful tests and the uncertainty that goes along with having a disease. In fact he had at least seven recurrences in the following 10 years. I remember the Shingles that he contracted when he was about 16 and we were told he was contagious and that we should stay away. I snuck into his room to keep him company anyway. This was the first time we discussed his mortality and he began to understand my civil unrest. He eventually landed in a local hospital to rid his body of this infection. This was also the first time that I visited my own brother in the hospital and sat at the foot of his bed as he had so often done with me. Just talking.

 Ron and I developed a relationship with a very special family that essentially took us on as their own. They were Bobbi and Gord Law and their children, Kerri and Craig. Gord was Ron’s sixth grade teacher at the time of the accident. While I was still in hospital, Gord took it upon himself to drive Ron to Duluth to visit me. Things progressed and soon we began to tag along on their family outings. We went camping, biking, skiing, even celebrated birthdays as a family. We did the little family things together too. Shopping, BBQ’s, playing board games, watching TV, hanging out, sharing dreams and even arguing. In many ways, Bobbi and Gord became surrogate parents. I can’t imagine life without them, even today.

Ron and I in Thunder Bay

I moved out of the house two weeks after my 18^th birthday. It was a good time for me. I could finally live my own life. I remained rebellious but level-headed (sort-of). I got a job in the kitchen of a Nuns’ residence, while I contemplated my career choices. Ron visited often and although he did not approve of my relationships, he was supportive. And he finally fully understood my dissatisfaction at home. I went on to college just outside of Toronto. I had decided on Early Childhood Education because I did not want to raise my kids the way my grandmother parented me, I wanted to learn how to do it right. I was afraid I would follow the destructive model of my own later life. Ron stayed in Thunder Bay and spent some time at Lakehead University. He loved the excitement and opportunities available in the Toronto area so he visited frequently and stayed with me (much to the chagrin of Nonna, who hated his being away from her). And hated his being with me more!

  

Ron Sdraulig: Another Time Another Place - Part 1

And Now the Waltz (C'est La Vie) - Slade

This is a story I wrote a very long time ago and I am ready to share it now to coincide with the 30th anniversary of my brother's passing, June 4th, 1984. 

Ron Sdraulig: Another Time, Another Place

Ron Sdraulig March 1984

By: Gigi Sdraulig

“Another time, another place.  We’ll be together again.”

from: And Now the Waltz (C’est La Vie) by Slade 1984

This is about a young man who had the courage to save the life of someone else but could not save his own. This is about the bravest person I have ever known. This is about my brother, Ron Sdraulig.

Thursday, March 21st, 1974.  It was the middle of the school March Break and in Thunder Bay, Ontario there was snow on the ground still.  The roads were clear and the weather was warming.  We were taking a family trip-Mom (Livia, 32), Sandra (13), myself (Gigi, 12), Ron (11) and Linda (10).  Although I am not sure why, on this occasion we had an extra passenger: Mom's friend Jenny.  I am not sure how this came about because Jenny was not one of my Mom’s closest friends. In fact, I still know very little about her. Maybe just the adult company, for Jenny never took the wheel to drive.

Linda, Sandra and I holding onto Ron

Mom had planned to get away early in the morning for the eight-hour drive to Minneapolis and then on to Rochester, Minnesota, but it was almost noon before we left the house. My Mom was notoriously late, she had the best of intentions but I think there was just too much on her mind and she often forget. She forgot appointments, things she had to do, where she put her car keys. We were late for everything – that’s just the way it was. Mom would have benefited greatly from writing herself reminders – if she could remember where she left her lists. She was also very fastidious and the house had to be neat and tidy before we left, so that when we returned we would enjoy it rather than worry about having to clean. After a long trip we could come home and relax.                 
        So even though we left late from the house, Mom still had a few errands to run and we had to make a quick stop to switch cars with Nonno (our grandfather). We took his 1966 Pontiac and left him the loaner we had. Mom had hit a deer on a previous trip stateside and our old Meteor was being repaired. Then we were off on what I considered to be an adventure despite the fact that we had made this very trip on a fairly regular basis. Mom's brother and his family lived in a Minneapolis suburb, so we got to visit our cousins, but the primary reason for the trips was cancer treatment and check ups for Ron, who had Hodgkins Disease.

It was Boxing Day 1972, just before his 9th birthday, when Mom first noticed the large egg shaped lump on his neck.  As children, we knew he was sick but cancer wasn’t so commonplace back then, and we did not associate death with his having to go to the hospital all the time.  We did not experience his hospital stays or his pain, because all his treatment occurred at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. We stayed home with various caregivers.  We went as a family only for check-ups that fell on school breaks, as it was on this March day.

Dante and Livia Sdraulig Jan. 8, 1960

Mom was a great mother, who amidst chaos and uncertainty, made us feel as though we were a normal family.  But we weren't.  We had no Dad, Mom was widowed.  When forms came home from school asking for Dads' occupation and we matter-of-factly wrote - Deceased - almost as if that was his occupation.  We didn't know him to miss him.  Dad (Dante) died, along with Mom’s brother, Feruccio (Frank) Babudro, in a car-train collision on February 17, 1964. Mom was a strong woman who coped in the face of adversity far better than anyone I know could. At the time of his death, Dad had been building the family home with the help of Feruccio, and they were going to the lumberyard for supplies. They were broadsided by a train at a dangerous crossing in the middle of the day. They didn’t have a chance. Mom was left heart-broken and grieving with four young children and a partially built homestead. Sandra was the oldest at 3 ½ years of age; Linda, the youngest, was just 5 weeks old. There was an ensuing lawsuit that went all the way to the Supreme Court and did not provide much for the effort. So without a breadwinner, Mom struggled financially. The local school board eventually ousted mom, a teacher by profession, when she was unable to return to university for her Bachelors Degree-required since her graduation from North Bay Teachers College. After that she took a variety of jobs to support her family and at one point, I believe, social assistance.

My mom’s parents were a very big part of our lives – my paternal grandparents were still in Italy. What I didn’t realize then, was that her parents were both a source of comfort and anxiety and stress at the same time. We often heard Mom and Nonna (grandmother) arguing, and once I asked why they fought so much. “Because we love each other” is the answer I got. Love, it seems now had very little to do with it. Nonna didn’t approve of my dad’s side of the family and the marriage…and us children? She also blamed my father for the accident that killed both him and her son. As a matter of fact, it seems that Nonna approved of very little that my Mom did. There certainly was a one-sidedness when it came to the parents supporting the remaining son and daughter. The son, his wife and family wanted for nothing. It is just another testament to the strength and courage of my Mother that she obviously passed on to her children. Strong, honourable character.

With the last of the errands completed, we crossed the set of railroad tracks where I mistakenly believed my dad was killed. Perhaps because of the pain it caused her, perhaps because we never asked, but Mom never really talked about Dad. I knew nothing of his personality, his height, his character, his likes, dislikes, habits, hobbies. One framed picture was on the bookshelf. The same picture that adorned his mausoleum.  I knew how he died and that my parents were in love. That’s about it. We visited his final resting place often but never went to the scene of his death. So the tracks that intersected Thunder Bay between the twinned cities of Port Arthur and Fort William were not were my Dad breathed his last breath. Instead, the crossing was nearer the Port Arthur waterfront on Clavet Street.

All together!
Linda, Mom, me, Ron, Sandra

Spirits were high and excitement building with chatter of fun to come when the song “Photograph” by Ringo Starr came on the radio. It was one of Sandra’s favourites and a lively discussion ensued about everyone else’s favourites. Mom’s was “I Am Woman” by Helen Reddy; Linda’s was “Time in a Bottle” by Jim Croce. I, like Ron, could not pinpoint any one favourite. I liked too many.  To this day hearing those songs evokes a rush of emotions. Both sad and comforting but mostly hurt. Music was always important in all our lives. The stereo was a more prized possession than the TV. Of course, that was in part due to the fact that my dad built the stereo cabinet and put together (possibly with help from my Uncle who died with him) the interior components complete with the old tubes. No electronics back then. Many nights we would sit by the stereo as a family, listening to the Top 10 hits of the day on CKPR radio and then trying to be the first to call the radio station with the names of all ten in hopes of winning. I don’t remember the prize, or even winning. But I do remember the excitement of playing the game. Rewards and treats came in the form of new albums or 45’s. I still own the first 45 I ever earned. It cost $.33 in 1971 and was Day After Day by Badfinger. We all learned to play the piano and had aspirations to expand our musical abilities with other instruments. Singing as a family was another activity we enjoyed together, there was a host of traditional Italian songs that we learned (and I still remember), but there was one that came to impact my life in later years for reasons I have never really understood. The song was “Farewell to Nova Scotia” and I did not know what if any importance there was in that song for her. Perhaps it was because Nova Scotia and Halifax were the first things she saw in Canada when she came through the gates at Pier 21 as a pre-teen girl leaving her homeland. Perhaps she had hopes of one day returning for a visit. I’ll never know.

It was getting dark when we stopped at a Perkins Restaurant in Duluth, Minnesota for supper. With four hungry bellies whining, it probably wasn’t that late at night but the daylight hours are significantly shorter in the winter months. Perkins was a real treat because we liked the food, Mom liked the prices and we could only go when we were in the States. Downstairs, near the washrooms, we found a telephone and called Nonna to tell her all was well. Nonna was concerned with the darkness of the hour and the journey ahead. Mom assured her we would be fine, she was not at all tired. We only had another four hours or so to go, mostly on divided highway and with good road conditions. Mom was also very accustomed to this journey, having done it so often before.

            We didn’t make the rest of the trip. 

My Stars In the Sky

Dancing In the Sky - Dani and Lizzy

First, I have to give a loud shout out to this song and the artists. When people here it, they are typically floored by the passion and beauty in both the words and the voice. Dani and Lizzy are the twin daughters of Canadian music legend Paul Hyde (Payola$) and inherited some family musical talent. When I first came across this song, I was so taken that I was shocked. It is a song that is a comfort to the very soul of someone who has lost love. I enclose the lyrics below and a link to their website. Listen, enjoy, buy, support talent!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today is March 21st. To me it is the first day of spring and always has been. I know that somewhere along the line the planets changed their alignment and the official date of spring was changed to March 20th. But not for me. 

Livia Sdraulig age 34, Linda Sdraulig age 10, Sandra Sdraulig age 13

The first day of spring is a time when the northern hemisphere wakes up from its long winter sleep. Flower bloom once again, babies are born and people come out of their hibernation with a "spring" in their step. The grass goes from brown to green, the trees begin to bud and the rain washes everything clean. Ready for lifes' renewal. But maybe there is a reason I have never liked spring. 

March 21st 1974 was the first day of spring. 

It was a Thursday. 

It was 40 years ago. 

It was 2087.1 weeks ago.

It was 14,610 day ago. 

It was almost my life time ago.

It was March break and the family and a friend of my mom's (Jenny) piled into the car for a late March break trip that coincided with an appointment for my brother, Ron at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester Minnesota. The same trip was made many times for the same medical concern - treatment for Hodgkins Disease for Ron. The same road was travelled. Mom drove, Sandra (oldest) sat in the middle of front bench seat. Jenny road shot gun. The back seat order is a little fuzzier. I was in the middle with Linda (youngest) and Ron (3rd child and only son) on either side of me (second oldest). 

I remember stopping for gas, buying treats including licorce. I remember stopping at Perkins Restaurant for supper. The pay phone in the basement by the washrooms where we called my grandmother from Duluth, Minnesota. That was it, until the impact and the screaming. 

It was a divided highway near Hinkley, Minnesota. A transport truck hit us and climbed atop the trunk of the car, pushing us. The friction of the gas tank along the pavement started the fire. The speed and momentum of the truck pushed us a long ways until we went through the guardrail and tumbled down to land wheels up in the Grindstone River. The ice and the snows of winter still hanging on prevented any threat of drowning, and the raging fire was a more pressing problem. "Don't breath" yelled Mom. 

Ron pulled me out after finding himself half in and half out of the car window. He risked his life for when he got me - damage was already done to my body. The darkness of the night, the intense heat of the flames and the arrival of the emergency personnel prevented any further attempts of rescue. Jenny crawled out on her own. We heard this as we were speeding down the highway in the state troopers car to the first hospital. No one else did. Including the driver of the truck. 

Ron survived unblemished but not cancer free. Jenny and I bore the scars of that night for all to see and question. Last I heard Jenny was living in cottage country (Collingwood or Wasaga Beach). We never kept touch. She was mom's friend and personally the last thing I needed was face to face reminders of what happened and what I looked like. It's easy to avoid a mirror. 


I spent nearly 3 months in hospital recovering from 1st, 2nd and 3rd degree burns and minor instances of stitched up gashes. There was a lot of surgery, I don't know how many. And there was a lot of blood lost and replaced. 

So much life was lost on that day and mine was saved. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Things We Lost In The Fire - Bastille

I have always been grateful to those that donated the blood for me, because I've always claimed that I got good blood. Since that time, I have not had a mosquito bite that I can recall. If they do bite, I don't get the irritating and itchy swelling from it. I think they don't like me. I also rarely get sick with the flu or colds. Good blood I think. For this reason I always wanted to give back and donate blood.

Luck, has not always been on my side. When I was finally not selfish and immature enough to actually make the decision to step up and donate, I feared a diagnosis of AIDS. I never made the wisest decisions because I didn't know how to do anything but rebel and be angry. I did things for spite and stubbornness. If I was dying, I didn't want to know about it ahead of time. Although the idea was never far from my mind, I was afraid to do the test that might tell me something I didn't want to know.

Then earlier this year, I was forced to confront that fear. Possible cancer detected. And in the grief and self-pity, came a decision that regardless of the outcome, if they would have it, I would donate blood before it became contaminated with the chemical soup of cancer drugs.

A pin to commemorate the first donation.

I got good news (for a while) and Canadian Blood Services got a unit of the good stuff. Deep veins flowed swift and the nurse attendant was thrilled with my 7 minute donation time. I felt so good and so proud of myself for finally taking the plunge that it ended up being a selfish act, after all. That was a big surprise for me.

Fact: Each unit of blood that is donated equals about 450 ml which doesn't make a difference to the person donating. But every donation can make the difference between life and death for another person. A typical car accident victim needs 50 units, a cancer patient may need 5 units during a treatment. 

Fact: 52% of Canadians say they or a family member has been the recipient of a blood donation. I would suggest that that is a conservative estimate. Every day, Canadian hospitals require 2000 units of blood. These donations come from 3.5 percent of eligible Canadians. I am proud to be a minority. 

There is nothing to fear, if you are healthy. Give blood. Give life.

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According to the Canadian Blood Services, every donation can help to save 3 lives.   

Today, I commemorate a sad occasion in my personal family history with the hope of life and the remembrance of death past. I choose to give hope to another. I gave a donation of the blood that saved my life, in memory of the people I love that died. 40 years ago I lost three. Today I saved 3.

For every birthday in my family, there is a corresponding death anniversary. Today I took the first step to return to the celebration of Spring and of life by giving life to someone else. Three months from now when I am eligible to donate again, I will be nearing the death anniversary of my beloved brother Ron. On that day, I will mourn and at the same time I will share the gift of life again. 

We cannot and we don't have to let go and forget our trauma. For every scar on our heart and body is a story of our life. 

I am not dying any faster than the rest of you...that I know of right now, and I maintain a guarded optimism coupled with a dose of hope and a truckload of stubbornness. I want to try to celebrate the life that I have and do my small part so maybe someone doesn't have to feel the loss that I know too well.

Give. Love. Remember. Donate. Please. 




"Dancing In The Sky"

What does it look like in heaven?
Is it peaceful is it free like they say?
Does the sun shine bright forever?
Have your fears and your pain gone away?
Cause here on earth it feels like everything good is missing, since you left
And here on earth everything thing is different
there's an emptiness

Oh-oh-oh I, I hope your dancing in the sky
and I hope your singing in the the angels choir
I hope the angels, know what they have
I bet it's so nice up in heaven since you've arrived

Now tell me, what do you do up in heaven?
Are your days filled with love and light?
Is there music? Is there art and invention?
Tell me are you happy? Are you more alive?
Cause here on earth it feels like everything good is missing, since you left
And here on earth everything thing is different

Oh-oh-oh I, I hope your dancing in the sky
and I hope your singing in the the angels choir
I hope the angels, know what they have
I bet it's so nice up in heaven since you've arrived
Since you arrived

LINKS TO PREVIOUS POSTS ON THE SUBJECT:
Website: www.pinkpantherfan.ca Family tab
2013: Under The Dirt Sky http://pinkpantherfancanada.blogspot.ca/2013_03_01_archive.html
2012: Paradise Forever...Lost!
http://pinkpantherfancanada.blogspot.ca/2012/03/paradise-foreverlost.html


CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE:
http://www.daniandlizzy.com/
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/daniandlizzy/dancinginthesky.html
http://www.farmersalmanac.com/astronomy/2010/03/15/when-is-the-real-first-day-of-spring-march-20th-or-21st/
http://birthdayscan.com/1974/march/21/
https://www.blood.ca/centreapps/internet/uw_v502_mainengine.nsf/page/E_Who%20Needs%20Blood

Another Time, Another Place - Ron Sdraulig

Cancer - My Chemical Romance

And in the blink of an eye another year has passed. And as I mark yet another anniversary of profound loss, I want to focus on what can be done so others may not have to feel the pain. I don't wallow in self-pity. It is what it is. If I could change it I would but I have had a few years to adjust and cope with my loss. I wasn't always alone. It just seems like a lifetime. I came from a large family. There were 6 of us and counting when my Dad passed away unexpectedly, and in the decades that followed everyone else went away also. The last to go was my brother Ron Sdraulig. Ron was 21 years old on June 4 1984 when he muttered my name and gasped his last breath. I was glad to be with him to offer comfort (I hope) and to see for myself that his transition onto the next journey was peaceful. It was, but 29 years later when I think about that night I still hurt a lot. His biggest fear before he died was my mental state - it's a good thing that his physical being wasn't here in the past two years because he would have kicked my ass. Or maybe we would have together kicked some ass before I could be beaten down. Truth be told, less than a month ago I was preparing to join him. And then something happened to renew my hope that it was worth the fight. I may have a halo of angels floating around my head but even they aren't always strong enough to keep me standing on my feet while I am getting sucker punched. Fortunately my stubbornness reminded me that it's "Never Too Late"

When Ron passed, the official cause of death was noted as Heart Failure. I read that as a broken heart - a young man who had lived a decade fighting for his life alone when all he wanted was the support of his mom in his time of sickness. The Mom who had been there by his hospital bedside, holding his hand during painful treatments and their side effects, who listened to the prognosis and made the decisions. Ron battled Hodgkin's Lymphoma from the age of 9 when the first goose-egg sized lump appeared on his neck like an unwanted gift the day after Christmas. And so many recurrences and illnesses that followed after she was taken in a car accident when he was just 11 years old. I was a kid myself and didn't understand but I do remember the recurrence in his groin and the tumour that appeared his head far from the lymph nodes. And in between the cancer operations, radiation and chemotherapy, there were spinal taps and a severe and painful bought of shingles. You really don't know what you have when you have your health. A pain-free day for him was filled with worry of what the next day would bring. I didn't support him emotionally then - I was an angry kid, making unwise decisions about my own life and unmindful of Ron's struggles. I was just a year older than Ron - I can regret my selfishness now but I would rather focus on the positive. Sneaking in to see him when we were told that it was dangerous (for me) and sitting on his bed laughing. About what, I don't remember - but for just a moment he forgot pain and laughed. It's all that mattered then. Just like being there awash with tears to tell him I love you the very last time June 4, 1984.

In 1972, cancer was not very common, especially in the young. Certainly not like it is today. The only thing I know is that while the population of Canada did not double between 1987 and 2012, the chance of a Canuck being diagnosed with cancer has doubled. I want to know why. It seems that everything causes cancer. Back in the day, Ron and I had an interesting discourse about cancer risks. Of course it can't be argued that smoking in any way is good for you, but even then, more additives were put into the commercial cigarette compared to the time when if you wanted to smoke you  got a bag of tobacco and rolled your own. Certainly there were many people that we knew who smoked and never got cancer, what was the difference? To my mind, the nasty brownish-yellow acrid foul-tasting smoke coming from the stakes of the local paper mills and enveloping the surrounding neighbourhoods was far worse to inhale then commercial tobacco. And indeed working in the mills certainly presented health concerns. Somewhere in my files I have two articles that I set aside to prove my point in the next debate. One article stated that caffeine consumption was proven to cause cancer. Not a month later there was an article from the same newspaper that claimed caffeine prevented cancer. And these days you could drive yourself batty trying to keep up with all the do's and don'ts.  

There wasn't a kid who grew up in the 1960's - 1980's that didn't drink from one garden hose or another. We were out playing all day long. To go inside the home for a drink of water meant that we might be caught and forced to stay in and do homework or some other distasteful chore. The hose was the go to - we never thought we were contributing to our own demise by partaking in the sharing of the hose fountain. If anything, being allowed to be kids may have strengthened our immunity and permitted us to be healthier. There was no toxic soup being used on the grass we played leap frog on. Homes were cleaned with chemical baths and disinfected to the point of sterilisation. And perhaps most importantly the food we ingested was not genetically modified and filled with chemicals and antibiotics. It was a healthier time and our bodies reacted to that. We are simply not built to fight off all the toxins that we are exposing ourselves to. And in our paranoia and attempt to cleanse we are killing off the good germs and at the same time creating super bugs that we can't kill to protect ourselves. 

I'm not a scientist and not the first person to tout this vein of thinking but, I believe that the incidence of breast cancer in women has gone up as women entered the business world and working more frequently outside of the home. It's not the work itself that's the problem it is the deodorant that they are using. Our bodies are magnificent machines that left alone can work trouble free for a lifetime. Yes, I see the irony there - but bear with me a moment. We blink without thought and it cleanses and protects our eyes, we sneeze on reflex to rid our respiratory system of an irritant. When we ingest something that is not good for us, for the most part they are expelled one way or the other. My mother used to say that if God put it there, there was a reason for it and unless it was absolutely necessary - it wasn't being removed. Of course this was the era of commonplace tonsillectomies. (Yes, I have my tonsils.) The point is that our bodies are meant to sweat and when we use a product to block the sweat glands where does the sweat (ammonia, urea, sugar and salt) go? Sweat itself does not smell - the reaction of the sweat with the bacteria on the body makes the smell. Yes, for some people it is a medical condition. For most of us, we don't have an issue with excessive sweat - we use it because years of effective marketing has convinced us that we must. So did our middle school hygiene/gym teachers. It is hard to find and more expensive but do yourself a favour (men and women) and buy deodorant instead of anti-perspirant. Unless you know you have the gene that has been identified as causing breast cancer like Angelina Jolie does.

Part of it is smart living. Watching how many chemically engorged processed foods we eat, being aware of genetically modified fruits and vegetables. I'm not an organic eater or a radical hippie, live off the land type. Just trying to be aware and not paranoid. It's a moderation thing when it comes to food. Too much coffee, diet soda, fried foods, beer is not good for you. But like the occasional glass of wine it won't kill you and life is about the enjoyment. Most of my family was killed in car accidents but rarely a day goes by when I don't get into a car. I try to be a safe driver and I'm aware of assholes on the road but I won't stop driving because it can kill you. 

So how did that discourse with my brother so many years ago end. Well, with a few tears and sand bags of sadness weighing on our shoulders we decided that everyone has cancer cells in them. For some the cancer is triggered by saccharine, by others caffeine, for others it will remain forever unknown. There are a lot of people who smoke and haven't contracted lung cancer. George Burns smoke and drank his whole life that ended after he turned 100. My brother never smoke or drank before beginning the fight for life at 9 years of age. And for the critics, it was pre-dominantly a smoke free home.

It is my goal to do what I can so that my brother did not die in vein. I try to keep his memory alive through my writing and spreading the word of his life story. I am also a part of a sibling study being conducted at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. I was approached many years ago, my part in it is minimal - I provide medical information on myself and my children and submit the occasional saliva sample and I've allowed them access to Ron's medical files. One thing that they have discovered is that many who were treated for childhood cancers where given treatments that their tiny bodies could not handle and they often succumbed from heart failure because of it. Like Ron did. 

Although in his case I suspect their was much more to it. The doctor at the time of his death said that "in a sense, Ron committed suicide because he had given up the will to live and had refused treatments in the recent past". It is true that Hodgkin's Lymphoma is considered to be one of the most curable cancers. Even in 1984 the doctor said to me that with treatment Ron could have lived another 10 years. By then, with the advances in medicine he would have had another 10 years. Be it what it is, he had fought for more than 10 years - mostly alone and he was tired. I get that! Now more than I ever have in my life. I get it! Ron was and will always be my hero. He cared about me more than he cared about his own future. He put himself in harms way to save my life when he returned to a fully-engulfed burning car to pull me to safety. He loved me when I was not lovable. 

Ronald McDonald Clock - Dan Gleeson

Ron's life in picture and song

(if the video doesn't show up - here is a link Ron Sdraulig Clock)

ANOTHER TIME, ANOTHER PLACE WE'LL BE TOGETHER AGAIN

PS
I have a recording of my brothers voice on an answering machine cassette. One day there will be a way to hear it again - on this earthly world or beyond.