TWO - Life is a collection of moments.
In my life thus far, I have been blessed to have more moments filled with happiness and joy, than ones filled with sadness or anger. While some moments are monumental, others can pass you by in the blink of an eye. I have three moments at this given time that have made a lasting impression on my life, two that I would say are the happiest moments of my life, and one that brings anger and fear. While there are many other great memories that have impacted my life, these three take the cake.
Moment #1: September 15th 2018, 3:30 pm
The day we said "I do". My husband Tanner and I are high school sweethearts and talked about our wedding day for as long as I can remember. A proposal happened after 12 years of dating, the day we put the SOLD sign on our first home together. I could see all of my dreams coming true. As the wedding planning began, I felt like a giddy little school girl waiting to marry my best friend. Fast forward one year and we said "I do" on what felt like the hottest day of the year. The day couldn't have been more perfect and a memory we talk about often.
Moment #2: July 15th 2019, 6:48pm
After what felt like the longest labour ever, we welcomed our beautiful 7lb 7oz, 19 inch, baby girl, Wrenley Maye Shlakat into the world. Although our wedding day felt like it was like something from a fairytale, the day we became parents tops every moment we have ever experienced. Although navigating parenthood can be tiring, confusing, and test your every limit, we couldn't imagine life without our Wren, who has now just turned 2 and is a little firecracker.
Moment #3: June 2, 2021 7:03pm
While this moment is life-changing, and one I will never forget, it brings the most pain, anger, sadness, and frustration that I have ever experienced.
The doctor had entered the room following my first CT scan, to tell me that there was a large mass on the front left side lobe of my brain. My heart sank, and I instantly became confused and concerned. I was told the the mass was, in his opinion, very large, and that they were waiting to hear back from London University Hospital, as they had contacted the neurology department. I didn't know what to do. My first question was "Is it cancerous?" to which he replied that he was unsure and couldn't comment much, as they automatically send these cases right to London.
I instantly thought of Wren. What does this mean for her? What does this mean for me as her mom? What does it mean for me as a wife? What were the next steps? How long would this whole process take?
I will dive a bit more into the initial findings of the tumour and processing the information in a coming post. All I knew was at this moment my mom was watching Wren and Tanner was golfing. I called my mom, and through the tears I managed to tell her they had found a mass, which was one of the hardest things to say out loud for the first time. I told her she just needed to take care of Wren until Tanner and I figured out our next move. I felt like my world had crumbled in a matter of minutes and I couldn't do anything at all. I then called Tanner on the golf course and told him the news. He came to the hospital right away (ran from hole 15 to his car, thankfully avoiding an asthma attack!) and I could tell he had been crying on the way. We hugged when I saw him and we both just cried. What had just happened!?
LIFE LESSONS:
1. There is nothing more important than family. Life can get busy and you can lose perspective, but all roads should lead back to family.
2. Be present. Memories can slip right through your fingers so enjoy what is right in front of you.
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