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talktodiana

~ Igniting the power and passion in others…

talktodiana

Tag Archives: fate

The Red Dress

13 Wednesday Jan 2016

Posted by dianasschwenk in Hump Day Chronicles, My Stories

≈ 64 Comments

Tags

A moment in time, Dad, Diana Schwenk, family, fate, grateful, grief, Hump Day Chronicles, laughter, life, Life's like that, living in the moment, loss, memories, parents, Relationships, Stuff my parents used to say and do, thank you

red dress

L-R Arno, Dad, me, Mom

“Your Uncle Arno is coming to Canada at the beginning of September, so I want you to come at the same time,” said Dad on the phone late in the summer of 2015.

“Well, actually Dad I was thinking of coming in October or maybe Christmas.”

“No. Arno and I discussed it. And we agree. You should come at the beginning of September.”

That’s odd, I thought to myself. Dad has never been one to assume I would be able to fly back east and visit. He’s more of a hey-it’s-been-a-while-when-do-you-think-you’ll-be-able-to-visit-again kinda guy. So I was somewhat taken aback at his directness.

Still, Dad never asked for much, and it seemed important to him, so I agreed to fly back east to visit them for a week and booked a flight for September 1.

It was still like summer in Calgary on that first day of September so I wore sandals and the red dress I’d bought in the Dominican when Mom and I had vacationed there a few years back and waited for the cab to take me to the airport.

Uncle Arno picked me up at the Pierre Elliot Trudeau airport in Montreal and after visiting with my brother and his family on the west island, we headed out to my parents place in East Hawkesbury.

Dad was lying on the couch when I got there. He’d been suffering with severe back pain for some time and the only relief he had was when he laid down.

I went into the living room to say hi. I talked about this and that and all the while he had this goofy smile on his face. “What?” I finally said.

“You’re wearing a dress. You hardly ever wear a dress. You look beautiful.”

~ HUMP DAY CHRONICLES ~

Dad was taken by ambulance to the hospital on October 28th.  I flew out and visited with him on November 6th. Before we left his room, we made plans to go see him again the next day, but he passed away that same night. Dad thank you for insisting that I attend the September family reunion!

related post: It was like a Schwenkonsortium!

 

Getting My Rhythm Back

13 Wednesday May 2015

Posted by dianasschwenk in Hump Day Chronicles, My Stories

≈ 55 Comments

Tags

believe, career, community, courage, Diana Schwenk, fate, happy, Hump Day Chronicles, job, joy, laughter, living in the moment, passion, Purpose, teamwork, trust, work, working together

IMG_20150510_150645

Today is Day Nine.

My daily routine has changed. And as with any change, it takes time to get one’s bearings.

And it’s going to take some time to get my rhythm back.

Looking back over the last five years, I can see how all my experiences have led me to this place right here, right now.

All the learning; the good times, the hard times, the fun times and the not-so-fun times – have taught me so much.

And I’m grateful. I feel joy. I’m excited to help build something amazing.

Here’s why. As of the first of May, I am happily employed at an amazing organization that makes a huge difference in the lives of hundreds of people.

Today is Day Nine.

I’m getting my rhythm back. I can’t wait to find new ways to build community.

I promise to tell you more about my new role in subsequent posts, but for now, I’ve got to get ready for work!

Until then, here are some pictures I took on the Mother’s Day weekend.

IMG_20150506_143447_edit
IMG_20150506_143435
IMG_20150506_171034

I couldn’t spend Mother’s Day with my mom or with my daughter, but an edible bouquet from Michaela delivered to my new office on Wednesday made my day!

On Mother’s Day, I took a long, long walk downtown. Here are some pictures I took.

An ominous shot of the Calgary Tower
An ominous shot of the Calgary Tower
What is it with long line-ups at Ice Cream Stores? Village Ice Cream, Calgary AB
What is it with long line-ups at Ice Cream Stores? Village Ice Cream, Calgary AB
Central Memorial Park, Calgary AB
Central Memorial Park, Calgary AB
5th Street SW, Calgary AB
5th Street SW, Calgary AB

Wishing you all a great day!  🙂

~ HUMP DAY CHRONICLES ~

When you look back on your life, can you see the events that led you to where you are now?

It All Comes Out In The Wash…

20 Sunday Jul 2014

Posted by dianasschwenk in Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, In My Opinion

≈ 32 Comments

Tags

200 words, bad, believe, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, fate, for the best, life, luck, safe

PF_ClothesLine_zps14a8ff6c

You never know what worse luck your bad luck has saved you from. – Cormac McCarthy

Can you look back on a particular situation where you are sure divine intervention saved you a world of trouble ?

Because even when we plan for the future to ensure that we will be prepared for whatever may come, bad or unforeseen things can happen to foil our carefully laid plans.

Sometimes what seems like a bad thing at the time, ends up being the best thing that ever happened to us.

Many years ago, I missed catching a ride with someone  because I answered the phone and ended up chatting longer than I had intended.

Irritated with the situation and mumbling under my breath, I hailed a cab.

Upon arriving at my destination, I learned that my would-have-been driver had been in an accident.

I’ve experienced a handful of similar situations with varying degrees of seriousness.

Enough to make me more patient when things don’t always go my way.

A missed flight…

an unsuccessful job application…

…might just be the best thing that ever happened.

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

Has something seemingly bad ever worked out for the best for you?

Talk to Diana


"I RELATE WITH, PROMOTE AND SPEAK COMMUNITY WHEREVER I AM..."

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