Le banc

Le banc - oil on canvas painting measuring 16" x 24"

I was born and raised in Kingston, Ontario, and have always lived close to the shore of lake Ontario. I have seen it through the years and seasons; when it is calm, and when it is turbulent; when it is bright and cheerful and when it is somber and grey. When I walk along the shore I like to stop and remember how, as a child, I would wander the shore looking for evidence of pirates and treasure that may have washed up. I would seek out precious gems -  beach glass - glass that get tossed on the shore, broken, and then tumbled smooth by the waves and currents.

My parents would take us to the beach where I would make sand castles all day. Then my father would invite me to a stone-skipping competition - he almost always beat me. But he taught me how to find the perfect stones for skipping.

When lake Ontario storm waves were crashing onto and over the pier, we used to pile into his blue Olds Cutlass and park on the dock waiting for the waves spray over and wash his car.

My father passed away in 2013 and my mother in 2017, but when I sit alone at that park bench which is close to my house, I feel that connection to them. It is as if I have gone back in time and am with them in spirit - thinking the same things and feeling the same emotions as I did back then, if only for a little while.

I am not a rich person, but I have been fortunate enough to be able to afford some of the nicer things - the the latest gadgets and other consumer items. But as I hold my smartphone in my hand I realize that I would gladly throw it away if I could once again hunt for beach glass, or spend hours making castles on the shore, or look for those perfect round skipping stones with my mom and dad.

Make time for the things that matter; leave your wallet behind. You won't need it if you want to make the best memories.