Went to the funeral home tonight for a lovely lady who passed away. I took my dad with me since he had also known her for years. She was the receptionist at the dance studio I attended where I started at the tender age of 4. Now you can talk about people who have achieved great status or earned a lot of money or sit in a high position in the community but that was not Norma. She was a Mom to 3. Lost her H in the war. Had to raise the kids on less than most. But she had a smile and a warmth about her that one could never forget. And I never did.
They lived in our neighbourhood and went to our church. Her son was in my dad's scout troop and he was my first love. I was 8. He barely knew I existed. But he danced at our studio (he was 12) and I would see him at church. Or see his name on my dad's Scout list and my little heart would flutter. And I told my parents that when I grew up I was going to marry him. Funny thing is - their last name was Darling (yes, like the family in Peter Pan). And our last name was Dear (as in Dear John). So my Mom would tease that when I grew up and married Bobby our kids would have Grandma Dear and Grandma Darling. So funny.
I didn't see Norma for a few years after my studio had closed and I moved on to a new one. But when I opened my dance school - she showed up at my first recital. And then came every year and made a point of telling me she would never miss my show. Then one year, Bobby showed up at the studio, bringing his little daughter along to class. What a thrill for me! I always thought he was a wonderful dancer and couldn't imagine him wanting me to teach his own. But they moved away out west after a year.
I got a call one time from a tv producer looking for an elderly tap dancer. The only one I knew of was Norma so I called her and got her the job. But they needed another and asked me to grey my hair and do it as well. So Norma and I tap danced in a tv show. We got call backs and had to do more tapings in Toronto. I took her and her daughter with me and we had such fun. Something I will never forget.
And Norma was a good friend of my Mom's. They belonged to some clubs together and got along well. Norma and her daughter were there when my Mom passed away.
At the funeral home I saw Bobby for the first time in about 25 years. And he remembered me. (I didn't share the fact that I had planned our life together nearly 45 years ago). And he pointed out our dance teacher, she had come in right in front of me. What a shock - I hadn't seen her since I was a skinny, leggy, pale, freckled little girl who somehow became a good dancer. It was a neat thing to see her again after all these years.
So Norma lived a great life. She was 90 when she died. She tap danced in Sr's homes to entertain the residents up until the day she died. And she touched many people's lives.
As I said - she was not rich or famous. But it was the way she treated people that made everyone remember her.
