Friends from Victoria, Canada
Last week, we had friends visit from Canada: Paul & Fran. Unfortunately, this was when the "spiking fever" and "new improved flu" was racing through our household and we weren’t able to spend as much time with them as we would have liked. Paul and Fran spent three weeks in China with friends, then came through Hong Kong. I know them from when I lived in Vancouver, Canada, and travelled each week for more than a year to Victoria on Vancouver Island to lead Landmark Education seminars. For almost the entire year Paul sat in my seminars, generating his own value (despite my abilities) and Fran attended a few sessions, too.
The weekly trip was always a wonderful escape often rich with irony or coincidence of some sort. I would be dropped off at the Tsawassen Ferry early afternoon. I typically spent the 1.5 hour trip in the dining room at the back of the ship watching the water float off behind us as I worked or read. Leading the sessions was energizing, too. One of the best parts of my weekly visits to Victoria was after each session, when the seminarians including Paul, and yours truly met at a local Victoria pub called Swans. On Wednesday nights Swans had a live band. One band in particular always reminded me of my brother-in-law, Dave Harris, who loves music – including bluegrass – and throughout his lifetime has jammed his way through many years, with many friends and a variety of bands. One night in Swans, after a uniquely inspiring bluegrass session, I drifted up to the ad hoc stage to compliment the group during one of their breaks. I got the shock of my life when I discovered the leader of the band was also named Dave Harris.
Paul & Fran’s visit brought back all these memories and we had a very special time in Hong Kong, albeit a bit short. The afternoon before leaving they came to visit the whole family in our building’s playground. The weather was gorgeous and I suggested they walk back to town along a beautiful walking path that Tess & I love. When it came time to leave, I strapped Jasper into a small stroller and the two of us escorted Paul & Fran to the start of the path behind Queen Mary Hospital. There we said good-bye, which was very hard and I wish I’d handled it better or said something more poignant. In a moment all those months travelling to Victoria flashed through my mind’s eye, plus all the other times we’d seen each other upon return visits to Vancouver Island or their visits to Vancouver. Now Hong Kong had been added to the journey stretched out behind us. There were few words to describe that moment of seeing them walk away down the path while Jasper and I turned back towards home. How my life has changed. I try not to hold onto the past because I believe in the future.
The attached pics are ones Fran and Paul took on their visit.
