About Me

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Delta, British Columbia, Canada
I took very early retirement from teaching in '06 and did some traveling in Europe and the UK before settling down to do some private tutoring. As a voracious reader, I have many books waiting in line for me to read. Tell me I shouldn't read something, and I will. I'm a happy, optimistic person and I love to travel and through that believe that life can be a continuous learning experience. I'm looking forward to traveling more some day. I enjoy walking, cycling, water aerobics & and sports like tennis, volleyball, and fastpitch/baseball. I'm just getting into photography as a hobby and I'm enjoying learning all the bits and bobs of my digital camera. My family is everything to me and I'm delighted to be the mother of two girls and the Gramma of a boy and a girl. I may be a Gramma, but I'm at heart just a girl who wants to have fun.

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

J is for JOCK

Because I've been so busy with unpacking, sorting, organizing, etc. I decided to do a re-blog.  I went through my J's and found something that really touched me.  I'm sure you'll all enjoy reading it - even again, if you've been with me since 2009.

J is for JOCK
During the last few years of her life, my mother would go back in her mind to her early days. She told me all about Jock, the only dog she'd ever had and the only one she'd ever loved. I think she must have named him after her father, who was born in Scotland and whose name was John. Jock is a sort of familiar name for John. He was a black Scottish terrier and, considering the disdain Mom showed towards all other animals including other dogs, it was quite something to hear her go on about Jock.

When Christmas came around in the year 2000, I was sort of stumped as to what to get her for a gift. Mom had everything she needed and it seemed silly to buy her more ornaments, clothes, or bath products. I wanted to find something really original and special for her that year - I think because I knew her time was limited. She'd already been suffering from Alzheimer’s for some years already.
I must have wandered the malls (both indoor and outdoor), trendy little boutiques, department stores and Wal-Mart, and every little "off-the-beaten-track" store I found. One day I arrived at a card shop and thought I'd pop in and get her a special Christmas card to go with whatever I'd end up finding. As I gazed around the shop, my eyes landed on a shelf where lo and behold I found her gift!

 Sitting amongst a group of stuffed animals was a stuffed black Scottish terrier! Well, I just KNEW this was her Christmas present!

 When I arrived home, I had second thoughts. Buying your mother a stuffed animal for Christmas? How silly! But then, I thought "No! She's going to love it!"

I found a tartan ribbon that I put around the little black dog's neck in honour of my Mom's Scottish heritage, put him in a box with tissue paper, wrapped him all up with colourful paper and took him over.
My mother was absolutely thrilled with him! So much so, that she named him Jock after the dog she'd had as a young girl. From that day on, he sat on the back of the sofa right where she'd sit every day and she would talk to him as though he were real.

Today:
When Mom passed away in 2002, Jock came to live with me. Sadly, Tegan also loved him so much that, like the Velveteen Rabbit, he ended up at the Rainbow Bridge, where I'm sure my mother and her "real" Jock came to claim him.  
Joyous thanks to the just marvelous Denise Nesbitt who created ABC Wednesday and to the jovial Roger, our judicious administrator!

13 comments:

carol l mckenna said...

What a wonderful tribute to Jock and your dear Mom ~ sweet post for J

Happy Week to you ~ ^_^

MelodyK said...

Please repeat posts ;-) I'm not that long a regular visitor on your blog so most of all is new to me anyway

A very sweet hommage to a lovely lady and her companion, stories like these , there are never to much off

Have a nice ABC-wednesday-day / - week
♫ M e l ☺ d y ♫ (abc-w-team)

ellen b said...

What a wonderful story about your mom, Jock and your thoughtful gift. Loved it!

Beverley Baird said...

What lovely memories of your Mom and Jock!

Roger Owen Green said...

That is a lovely story!

ROG, ABCW

Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪 said...

I didn't have any toys when I was young. One mum bought a toy dog to gift to an aunty who was having my brother for holiday. The dog looked like Jock, except he wasn't a soft toy, it was mechanical, and cought walk stiffly and bark. We got to play for a while before it was packed away in my brother's luggage,

Ann said...

What a gem of a gift for Mom, and a lovely memory.
Ann

Reader Wil said...

Thank you for this beautiful post! All my last posts are oldies I wrote them several years ago. I have had a hectic time after Christmas till now with a nurse tending my wound which is healing fast.
Have a great week.
Wil, ABCW Team

Su-sieee! Mac said...

A beautiful post, Leslie! i started giving the Mama stuffed animals when she was in her 70s and living alone. :-)
The View from the Top of the Ladder

Suzy said...

What a sweet post about your mum and Jock. Thanks for sharing.

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