Oh summer bliss. What a fantastic season. The days are longer, warmer and filled with sunshine. It also allowed my family to slow down the hectic school-year lifestyle we had all grown accustom to. And what a better way to enjoy the sunny summer days than with some baseball?! The Barry M Quinn Memorial Tournament to be exact.
My father put together a team comprised of our whole family, including significant others. You see, Barry was his younger brother. He was an amazing person and he was taken from this earth suddenly the summer before. He had such an impact on the lives of so many that I wrote an article about him. It started as an assignment, but then I pursued publication. So, if you want to know more about a man who changed the lives of countless firefighters across the country, you can read it here http://www.ottawalife.com/2013/07/a-heros-hero/ . It's not often I get the chance to spend time with my family like I did when I was younger. I mean the whole family. Cousins, Aunts, Uncles, brothers and sisters. I had grown to miss these, now rare, gatherings. You see, every time we get together, it's guaranteed hilarity. And I'll tell you why. First off, we're all Irish and proud, with a little bit of Scottish mixed in there somewhere. We all have a sarcastic streak in us that once mixed with the smart-ass Irish back-talk makes for some conversations best not be repeated in front of the children. Our slightly warped Quinn sense of humour is nothing short of entertaining, even if only to ourselves. Put us all together (especially to play some ball) and it's a given it will be frolicsome, comical and memorable to say the least. And of course they had to play “The Mighty Quinn” every time we took the field. That should go without saying. It's our family anthem. Who cares if it's about an Eskimo?! We laughed and joked and poked fun at each other. We made fools of ourselves and roared with glee about it. Together, we honoured a great man with a great game, good weather and the greatest of company, each other. A weekend of baseball was just what I needed. Some time in the sun with family. Everyone smiling, laughing and having fun. It felt so nice. My daughter enjoying time with her cousins and the activities arranged for all the kids; my partner and I laughing together for the first time in a long time. For the whole weekend, everything was great. For the whole weekend I felt happiness and loved. I kept wishing it would never end. But of course, it did. Good things always come to an end. The older I've gotten, the more I've come to understand better why it just has to. You see for some people once it ends, only then do they grow to appreciate it.
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Shauna QuinnNo stranger to taking the road less travelled, I must admit those not so great choices made me who I am and led me to where I am right now, which happens to be exactly where I am supposed to be. Archives
July 2018
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