Euan's Favorite Place

Euan used to love going to Port Dalhousie Marina in St. Catherine's, Ontario. When he passed away, his family and friends got together some money in order to have his favorite bench dedicated to him. Last summer, when K. and I ventured into Canada to visit Niagara On the Lake (a very beautiful and fun little place to go!), I asked him about going to Port Dalhousie to see Euan's bench. He agreed that we could do it, and we did in July. 

As we got into the area and tried to figure out where to park, I started getting really emotional and a little shaky. When I got out of the car, the first thing I heard was bagpipes. At the marina, there were two very long piers with benches all along the way. The pier across from us was where I heard the bagpipes. I saw a gathering of people following the bagpiper with balloons and other things, and so I knew they must have been honoring a loved one. But the bagpipes hit me. Euan was born in Scotland. I found it incredibly ironic that on the day I was able to visit his bench, that a bagpiper was there at the same place, and the same time! I completely took that as a sign that Euan knew I was there. I had tears even before I found his bench!

K. and I started walking on the pier closer to us and where we had parked. I had been told where to find Euan's bench by a dear friend of his, so we started trying to find it. Many of the benches had plaques on them in dedication to someone. My heart was a little racy as we were looking, and then suddenly, there it was. I sat down and started crying a bit more. I read the plaque on the bench: 

It was such a fitting tribute to Euan, since no matter what he went through in life, especially with his health, he tried so hard to just find happiness out of anything. That was just one of the many ways I felt so connected to him, because I often try to do the same myself. 

K. took a picture of me on the bench so I would have that memory, and then he sat with me and I shared some stories about Euan with him. We also walked along the pier for awhile, enjoying the beautiful day and the water around us. I swear, we are water people!! lol  We both love being by the water a lot! I can't tell you how much it meant to me for K. to bring me to see Euan's favorite spot. I'm very lucky to have him in my life!!

We saw the bagpiper leading the group of people back from the very end of the pier, where we could hear them doing some kind of tribute before releasing balloons.