Saying Goodbye: A Retrospective
I return to the blog known as Siilivaara with so much to say. But let me, I pray you, begin with the not so pleasant news.
The W+E Project, that great and shining endeavour so full of promise for the future, has been terminated.
Now, I am not here to complain that life's not fair. I have no bitterness about this. The fact of the matter is, this is the way it had to go. I have chosen a different path, one which the woman who was to be my wife does not wish to follow.
I am exceedingly thankful for the year and a half we were together. The young woman referred to herein as "E" has been a great positive force in my life. She has been a friend and confidante, a companion and a pillar of support, a great teacher and a mirror for my soul.
Although we certainly had our difficult times, I look back even on those as valuable life lessons, and I wouldn't give up a single one of my memories of us. Now, because I felt inspired, I've put together a series of photographs chronicling our relationship. So here goes...
November 29th, 2006: The evening we made it all official. Here I am playing with teddy bears.
One of the first pictures of us together. Little did we know what lay ahead!
E's first visit to my spartan dorm. That's an unpublished Bionicle creation on the bed behind her. She was good about that hobby of mine.
Just a couple of fools in love. We were really in love.
Laughter and good times.
Me writing a long Christmas card to you-know-who. We actually wrote real love letters in those days.
The most extravagant Valentine's Day card I've ever received, decorated all over with outrageous compliments.
Celebrating Grandpa's 80th birthday with two very special ladies: my girlfriend and my grandmother.
Sleigh ride on the lake with friends.
The highest point of the year for Laestadian Lutherans, the annual Summer Services of the SRK (Central Assocation of Finnish Associations of Peace). You can't tell from this pic, but there are about 70,000 attendees.
Another, similar event soon after Summer Services.
Relaxing after the Farmari agriculture convention in Kuopio. Being a child of the suburbs, my favourite part was all the farm animals.
This is us on the Sea to Sky Highway between Vancouver and Whistler. We spent three weeks at my home in Mission, British Columbia. My parents took us on a 600-kilometre day trip to see the sights of BC.
E joined my family for this picture of all of us together in front of the sauna porch. Yes, those are all my siblings and I love them like crazy.
This is at E's parents' place, a defunct milk farm. We'd gotten engaged in Canada, and of course we held a second engagement party in Finland. This is us posing in the yard after the party wound down.
Hiking in Hitonhauta (Goblin's Grave). The picture does no justice to the location itself, which was awe-inspiring. A land straight from Faërie, perilous and beautiful.
Christmas party with friends. Santa brought candy, yay!
What kind of man would I be if I didn't bring her flowers every now and then?
Weekend at a friend's cabin. We skied on the lake and posed on this li'l pebble.
A moment of dry humour.
E and her sister looking at wedding rings at an exhibition. She found the one she wanted, as well as a wedding gown on the same day. The wedding's off now, but that was still an awesome day.
After the de facto breakup, at a friend's grad party. The atmosphere between us was awkward. The final, official breakup came shortly after.
So that's a short retrospective on the things we shared. I will treasure my memories of them always.
I also treasure this current time in my life. It is a time for new beginnings, for discovery of myself and the universe, for connecting with other people. But more on that in the next entry. See ya!
-BC
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