Stories from Lucie

Peter and I loved to travel or just take off for a few days. One trip was to Quebec to see my family. Quebec has many foods you can’t get here in Toronto, one of them is Sugar Pie. We just finished buying one for Peter to try later. But we didn’t even make it to my grandmothers before Peter inhaled a slice while pulling into the parking lot. From the car to the apartment Peter started to levitate of the huge amounts of sugar in the pie. Peter is now skipping while walking, the arms and hands are moving around like they are about to take flight and of course the big baby blues are bulging out of his face. No one is this excited to meet anyone’s grandmother but Peter high on sugar it was the highlight of the evening. My grandmother greets us at the door and Peter walks in like his the long lost grandson in law. My grandmother who we call Mom was delighted and amused to meet Peter. We sit in the small living room with the tv playing in the background. We were talking when Peter notices the tv show. Some show on about the carvings in the caves millions of years ago. But the carvings were all sexual, almost porn in nature. Carvings of many people having sex in many positions. Peter comments on the type show Mom is watching. Says stuff like “Mom, what is it you’re watching on tv. This is porn stuff I didn’t know you were into this kind of stuff?” Really laying it on thick. My poor prime and proper grandmother didn’t see it coming and worked hard to defend herself by saying how her show ended and this just happened to come on. But Peter continued with “Oh come on now Mom, you don’t need to hide this from us.” We certainly laughed a lot.

Next stop was my aunt and uncle Susan and Pierre. Not much English speaking happening at their house. On our way to their house Peter started to come down of the sugar so to not pass out he inhales another slice to jack himself back up for the next performance he needs to pull off. I felt like I was chauffeuring a celebrity that needed to do his rounds and stay jacked for it.

We arrived at my aunt’s place and Peter is flying high ready to go. We drink a lot of coffee at my aunt’s. She is like my big sister, my favorite. Again the skip in his walk, the arms and hands flaring and the big baby blues come bulging out again. Next thing you know we are having coffees and Peter is talking to my family (who know little English) about the Quebec politics, the economy, the real estate market. You know, light stuff. Well my aunt and uncle were listening in so intently their faces peeled on Peter, I had to ask if they understood anything the he just said. Cuz I was even stunned by the flawless performance that Peter demonstrated for us all. My uncle who never even sat down during the whole speech replied with “Oh yes I understand everything.” That’s when he finally sat down. Peter had him in such a grip. LOL.

We had a lot of fun doing the simplest things. Like going to the market and trying all the homemade jams. He was like a little boy in a candy store. Everything was exciting and brand new. Even though he had traveled the world over. Or the time we drove the east coast and stopped at the little shacks on the side of the road. Apparently it was the best place to get fudge. We would drive to PEI and he would eat half a pound of fudge and oh my god it just change the whole dynamics of the ride. The conversation would get really funny, and intense. Peter had a bit of a sweet tooth you could say.

He wasn’t always intense in a funny way. We were in a Landmark course at the same time his mother was dying in the hospital. Peter was faced with the hardest thing he’s ever had to do in his entire life. Peter and the boys agreed to have their mother be with God then risk her dying through the second operation. Peter was the person to instruct the doctor with the consensuses decision. Peter shared with the Landmark group (as hard as it was) what had happened and how if it wasn’t for doing this inner work he would of not been able to be emotionally available for his mother and tell her that him and all the boys loved and honored her. That they will all be OK and that it was OK to go home with God. Peter was complete with having to make that decision for his mom and brothers. It was all made out of love. For a man to bare his soul in front of a group of people with such love and honesty was so moving and powerful. There wasn’t a dry eye in the place and never to be forgotten.

When Peter got scared which he did many times he would always tell me “Lucie I’m just the little boy from Perry Sound playing in the sand box. I look at my life and never would I have thought I would travel the world, have a beautiful family with great kids and grandchildren. If it wasn’t for Theresa and Al instilling their love and values in me I would of never been able to do all the stuff and experience all that I have. I have seen and done more than the average man in many lifetimes. I am so grateful for my life.”

Peter you are an inspiration to me and so many others.

I thank God for having you in my life.

I miss you so much and love you to the end.

Lucie

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Peter E. Schnurr

1948-2007

Stories from Lucie