[2022-07-04] Jen's Storybook

After I published last night's post, my sister drove to my house to deliver a very personalized present that she and my extended family had developed for me. It's called Jen's Storybook: Made with love by your fav people and includes recollections and tributes from many loved ones.

The book begins: "We wanted to say thank you so much for being you!" In the introduction, my sister explains that she was inspired by my post on Siblings Day and wanted to give me a shout-out as well. She says that she reached out to family members, many of whom were eager to provide their own contribution.

I loved these memories from my mom and siblings:
  • Learning to drive a three-quarter-tonne, standard truck at 16 after my mom broke her ankle and I became her chauffeur. She recalled my stalling the truck on main street in Carleton Place with a line-up of cars behind me, telling me to "Calm down, start the truck, put it in first gear and let the clutch out slowly." She added: "You have no choice but to do this."
  • Sharing an apartment with my younger brother. Bryan wrote: "There was also a day that you called me because there was a boat-load of dishes in the sink that needed cleaning and you thought I didn't want to come home to do the dishes. I told you that couldn't be further from the truth. You were unconvinced."
  • Winning a contest that my older brother thought was a waste of time and a scam. Ben remembered my running out to the shop where he was working to tell him that I had won the top prize of $500.
  • Becoming Baker Jen under my sister's tutelage. Kathleen recounted that I always wanted to see what she was baking. She would have been 10-12 years old, while I was 4-6 years old. She wrote of me: "She was so little back then I would put her on the countertop so she could watch me and hand me the ingredients that I needed from the cupboard." As a prize for helping, my sister would give me the beaters from the mixer to lick, my favourite treat being Dream Whip. She stated: "Regardless of her many accomplishments, she will forever be the little girl sitting on the kitchen counter helping me bake."
  • Reading the dictionary instead of accepting my oldest brother's invitation to play a game. Tim shared this cute story: "Looking back as we were growing up, this memory is etched in my mind. It was a warm sunny day and Jen was under the maple tree, sitting in the shade in a lawn chair. We were all playing a game and needed one more player to even the numbers. I went over to Jen to ask her to join us to even up the count. Her response was that she was busy going through the dictionary to capture the meaning of every word."
I also appreciated the many kind things that others said of me:
  • "It really speaks to just how much she puts herself out there to help others, especially her kids."
  • "Every year, for my birthday, I would spend the day with you.... The activities you planned may have seemed simple, but they made me feel incredibly special.... I looked forward to that day every year, to simply spend time with you."
  • "You were always so easy and breezy to be around and brought a sense of wonder and calm to our world."
  • "She leaves sunshine wherever she goes.... Jen has an amazing ability to bring out the best in people."
  • "What I admire most about Jennifer is how calm she is, nothing seems to rattle her. I like the term Unflappable."
  • "You were always the calm, genuine, smiling, friendly person that you still are today."
  • "What stands out for me when I think of Jen is her desire to always improve herself and how generously she shares her learnings with everyone."
  • "Even through the dark days, Jennifer is mighty in her words of encouragement and an inspiration to all."
  • "I admire Jen for her courage and determination to succeed."
  • "Jen is very kind and thoughtful and I am always at the ready when she calls and tells me she has baked goods to pick up."
One family member created a video involving her kids in recalling happy memories of my visits, especially when accompanied by my own children.

It's interesting how often my loved ones used the term calm to describe me. My brother Tim, a retired firefighter, started his entry with this statement: "The quality that makes Jen very special is her calmness in all situations. This, and many others, would make her a great fire suppression officer. You can only make good decisions quickly when you remain calm even when your world is in complete chaos. This would be Jen."

I'm grateful to my sister for the idea of the storybook and the effort she and others put into its creation. After yesterday's disappointment, it was the perfect gift to lift my spirits. I am blessed.