Personal Narrative: My Trip To Ontario

5:45 a.m., Wednesday, Boxing Day, 2013. I was sleeping soundly in my bed when the phone rang. I could hear the sound of someone getting up to pick up the phone. Shortly afterwards, I could hear the sound of weeping. I heard my Mom tell my Dad that Oma had passed away. Two days ago we had received word that she had fallen on her back and suffered a concussion. The fall might have been caused by her struggle with Alzheimer’s.
I heard my parents discussing how and when my Mom would fly out to Ontario. One thing was certain, though: she was the only one from our family going to the funeral.
At 8:00 a.m., we received another phone call from my Uncle Gord. He told us that we could all come to Ontario, and that Opa would pay for the tickets! Suddenly, we were bound for a trip to Ontario, all six of us! The fact that it was Christmas holidays worked
Afterwards, we all drove to Spring Creek church for the funeral service. Most of the family (yes, seventy-something people!) was crammed into the Spring Creek consistory room waiting for the service to start. We entered the church by order of family age. First came Aunt Gerry, Uncle Herman and family, next Aunt Linda, Uncle Jack and family, then Uncle Rick, Aunt Liz and family, next Aunt Trudy, Uncle John and family, then my family, next Aunt Jean, Uncle Bernie and family, and finally Uncle Gord, Aunt Michelle and family. There were also several great-aunts and uncles. Together we took up about a third of the space in the church pews! The main point of the sermon was that when Oma could no longer express her faith by singing or praying, it only became more evident that she was going home to her Father in heaven and that he was even more sustaining her.
In addition to the sermon, my Aunt Trudy read a poem about Alzheimer’s and my Uncle Rick gave a short speech about