Thursday, May 30, 2024
A Heart Felt Tribute to my Auntie Norma
By Pam (Turner) Leduc
Let take a moment to introduce myself, for those who may not know me my name is Pam Leduc and I‘m the second daughter to Ada (Norma’s sister) and Norma was my beloved Aunt.
I believe that once one is born into a family, they immediately start creating memories with one another and those memories become cherished moments in time.
One of the first memories I would like to share with you about this lady is how bright her smile was. It shone like sunshine. Her laughter was contagious, and her home was always inviting. It is the place where I felt the love, had peace of mind as well as relished the town’s natural beauty.
If given the choice between Disneyland or Kimberley, I preferred Kimberley, as it was the place Norma, and my Nonno & Nonna called “HOME”.
The smells of Italian food, cheese and, of course, wine at every meal as well as our crostoli and Italian braid cookies (my fave to this very day). I can’t forget the music of Tom Jones, "It’s Not Unusual" and Engelbert Humperdinck, "Quando, Quando, Quando" playing. You guessed it these artists were her idols.
In both homes I always found love, a sense of peace, and serenity. Much like one feels when one is embraced in a warm hug.
Norma loved her children, grandchild, family and friends and of course her parakeet(s) and her beloved dog “Bobby” who was the brother to our dog “Boots”.
One memory. I have as a child is sitting in her kitchen, where she was always talking in Italian to her bird, while washing dishes.
The cage was always open and the darn bird flew out! And it landed on my shoulder, it scared me terribly and to this very day I believe “birds should be free outdoors” and not in cages.
We all remember her appearance on “The Johnny Carson Show”. And every time I watch that video it brings a smile to my face, as she showed the world her inner beauty and grace.
She was a talented writer and storyteller. She was a lady with many challenges, much like me, but she never let these things define her. And she wrote a children’s book along with a crochet duck. To this day I still have that duck. One year she also made us Apple-head dolls. I always loved her creativity.
Even though there were many miles between us (as I reside in Ontario) we spoke regularly via phone, letters and cards. I am heartbroken that she was called home in poor health but I’m grateful, she has no more “pain”.
In closing I would like to leave you with this thought:
“Life is what you make it … Laugh more, Love who you are, and dance like no one is watching.” R.I.P. Auntie you will never know how far a level of love will go.
