FAMILY DAY 2024
My sister, Linda, has done a lot of work on the genealogy of my maternal grandmother's family which was the Dawson family. I understand that this side of my family originated somewhere in France but that, at some point in history, they moved to Ireland where the name Dossine (sp) was changed to Dawson.
I met my maternal grandmother only once. She lived in her home on P.E.I. and that's where my mother, aunts and uncles were born. I was five years old when I traveled with my Mom and my sister to the little Village of Tryon.
I don't have a lot of memories of that visit but I do remember meeting my Grandma. Unfortunately she passed away when I was still a young child so I didn't have the opportunity to get to know her well. I never had the opportunity to meet my maternal grandfather.
My Mom was born in Tryon in 1906, and that is where she lived with her parents and siblings until the family later made a move to the City of Summerside. My Mom was living and working as a legal secretary in Summerside when she met my Dad.
My Dad was born in 1906. His mother, my paternal Grandmother, had passed away and my Grandfather later married for the second time.
My paternal grandfather was, as I remember, a big, tall man. He worked as the Jailer in the Springhill Jail, Nova Scotia.
I met him on the same trip when I was five years old. It was a thrilling experience as I recall that we kids were allowed to spend the night in a jail cell. So exciting! I'm thankful today to say that it is the only night I've ever spent in a jail.
I did not meet my paternal grandmother but I did meet my grandad's second wife, Florence. I was never close to her and, in fact, I didn't care for her much when I was a young child. She had been employed as pianist for the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra, I was told. Yet, when I asked her if she would help me to learn how to play piano, she refused. That, in itself, was enough for me to dislike her.
My Mom and Dad met in Summerside, were married there in the Presbyterian Church. They made their home in Summerside, had two children, my big sister, Eleanor, and my big brother, Ken. Sadly both these siblings have passed away.
During the ugly depression days, in the dirty thirties, my Dad moved to Toronto leaving my Mom and siblings on P.E.I. with family members. Once he was employed and had found a home for the family, my parents reunited. In Toronto four more children were born to my parents. My big sister, Muriel, sadly passed away at too early an age, a victim of cancer.
I'm now the oldest of our three remaining siblings. My sister, Linda, is 4 years younger; my brother, Ray almost 3 years younger. Today we are all seniors, all with children and grandchildren.
My mother was blessed to become a grandmother, but my Dad, sadly passed away at the young age of 49. He did not survive to meet all the beautiful children that later joined our family.
Today, I am very proud mom to two beautiful daughters, grandmother to three handsome and intelligent grandsons; great-gram to one pretty, energetic three year old girl, and soon to be great-gram to another little girl this coming June.
Family means the world to me. I consider myself blessed to love and to be loved by so many.
There was no such thing as 'Family Day' when I was a young Mom raising my kids. I think it's a wonderful idea and, today, with both parents often working outside the home, the long weekend gives a family the time to relax together and to enjoy each other's company.
I wish everyone a very Happy Family Day, 2024!
Below is an AI picture that I put together to honour this occasion. When I was a child, our family spent many, many evenings gathered around the table playing board games, word games, all kinds of fun games. I don't know if families still do this today or not. Maybe everyone is off by himself, phone in hand. I know these family game times were an important part of my childhood and I hold them close in my happy memories of a long-ago childhood.
