Uncle Brendan and Aunt Nancy.

My uncle Brendan is my dad Wayne’s middle brother. When I was just a kid, he married my aunt Nancy. They lived together in London, Ontario. They never had any kids, but we would drive up there from Markham and visit them occasionally. One thing that stands out in my memory is the breakfast that they would cook us when we visited. My grandmother who passed away in 2019 also lived in London, as well as my uncle Ron, and my aunt Shelly. Brendan and Nancy would make the best breakfast with eggs, sausage, bacon, and toast, and I remember there being so much. They also shared the Catholic faith with me in a special way. I grew up Roman Catholic but I was a nominal Christian and I didn’t get born again until I was 21.

Being born again isn’t really a Catholic thing, Catholics believe you are born again at baptism, but my conversion at 21 just made me appreciate my faith in a deeper way. I still have conversations with my aunt Nancy about my faith, and I remember her telling me one time to watch out for Madonna, not the mother of God but the singer. This was back in the 1980’s or early 1990’s. I respected my aunt, even though I enjoyed Madonna’s music back then.

I lived with them for a brief time in my mid twenties, and at that time I was practicing eastern meditation. My aunt Nancy was always a role model and an example to me, and even though I had strayed somewhat from the Catholic faith at the time, she was always open and accepting. My uncle became ill at that time, and his mental health became a problem for him. Being just a young man, and not experiencing anything of that sort, my aunt was just as compassionate as she always was, and opened the door for me to see my uncle’s mental health diagnosis in a compassionate way. I never would have thought that I would be personally touched in my own life in the same category, but my mental health crisis eventually opened up the door for me to return to a deeper faith in God.

Many things have changed over the years, but what gives me comfort as my uncle is currently in palliative care, is the consistency of certain values and principles that I still have. The world can be a pretty messed up place, but there are some things that you just can’t let go if you want to keep your sanity. I learned values and morals from my aunt Nancy, and it’s the bigger picture or the sense of right and wrong that still provide clarity in this world. I am grateful for that and I know that it’s a part of me. In an ever changing world it’s a comfort knowing that the Christian faith provides just that, clarity and a path forward. This is Mike. Uncle Brendan was my confirmation sponsor in grade eight.

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