Remembering Lucille

One of my father's recent hobbies has been to piece together the Boudreau family tree. The document is more than 100 pages long at this point. He recently asked that all the family write to him about our memories of his mother, my mémére, the late Lucille Boudreau née Parent. Here is what I sent to him.

I often think of mémére when I am cooking comfort food. She always made me feel special by treating me to many wonderful home cooked meals whenever we came to visit. After a long drive from Ottawa to Kapuskasing I was always welcomed into a home that was filled with savoury aromas. A soup was often found simmering on the back of the stove for a quick lunch along with a warm hug and kind words. The trip back to Ottawa was never empty handed and I can still taste the peanut butter balls that would melt in my hand if I tried to savour them in more than one bite.

My memories are not entirely of food when it comes to mémére. I often recall her in a rocking chair at the end of the day knitting an item of clothing for one of her many grandchildren. There is a picture of the family out on a cross-country ski and all four of us are wearing knitted toques and jackets all made with love by mémére.

A kind and gentle spirit, especially with her grandchildren (see inset picture), I always had warm feelings towards her and felt they were reciprocated.

May her spirit live on in all of us.