Tea Time
Bitter
Sweet Goodbyes
By Dani Stobbs
A year's worth of memories locked away in photo albums,
and precious reminders of the year spent in Estevan, are taped
shut in boxes. Pictures taken from the wall, and watching
your worldly possessions confined to a removal van. That has
been the beginning of my week.
Sleeping in my room for the last time, and hitting my head
off the low ceiling for the last time, as I walk down the
stairs, is now a thing of the past. Thankfully, though, I
am just moving to a new house and not city, so Estevan will
continue to be my home for now. But I have to wave goodbye
to my parents that brought me to this amazing town.
As I prepare to say goodbye, it saddens me that I am in the
last stages of childhood. Even though I am 22, living at home
had brought me back into my childhood years, and even though
at times it gets frustrating, it is hard to let that go, and
becoming a real 'grown-up' is getting a little scary.
Just watching Mum and Dad saying their farewells to their
friends, it reminds me of last year when I had to do the same
with friends I have known for a lifetime. But just watching
my parents, it has shown that even though they have only been
here a year, they have made friends that they feel they have
known a lifetime. Like our neighbours for example.
I don't think we could have been blessed with any two people
better than what we have had as neighbours. They were the
ones to introduce us to the cabbage roll! They made sure we
knew about the first hockey game, cooking us these amazing
turkey dinners, and packing up some of her most amazing stuffing
for me to have the next day.
These two people and so many others that have touched both
my parents and my life this year, show what an amazing community
Estevan is.
Why do you think I am still here? You have to wonder why I
decided that I will fight till the bitter end to stay in Estevan,
rather than England. Why have I stayed in Estevan, rather
than following my parents to Medicine Hat? It's because of
you guys, because of the people in this community.
This week a wonderful lady sent me a postcard to say how much
she loved reading the columns every week. That makes the fight
to stay in Estevan so worth it. So thank you to you, who made
my day!
Sometimes you may feel that it's hard work to live in Estevan
and things don't feel all that great, but in those times,
contemplate packing your 'Estevanian' memories into a box
and waving goodbye to your city.
It makes you take a minute to pause and feel blessed by this
place, eh?
