Tecumseh, and My Uncle Chum

Live your life that the fear of death

can never enter your heart.

Trouble no one about his religion.

Respect others in their views

and demand that they respect yours.

Love your life, perfect your life,

beautify all things in your life.

Seek to make your life long

and of service to your people.

Prepare a noble death song for the day

when you go over the great divide.

Always give a word or sign of salute when meeting

or passing a friend, or even a stranger, if in a lonely place.

Show respect to all people, but grovel to none.

When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light,

for your life, for your strength.

Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living.

If you see no reason to give thanks,

the fault lies in yourself.

Touch not the poisonous firewater that makes wise ones turn to fools

and robs the spirit of its vision.

When your time comes to die, be not like those

whose hearts are filled with fear of death;

so that when their time comes they weep and pray

for a little more time to live their lives over again

in a different way.

Sing your death song, and die like a hero going home.

The Teaching of Tecumseh

Good Morning All;

And with my apologies to those 2 of you whom I promised to write to, please understand...

My father called yesterday afternoon.

His brother, my Uncle Chum, has quietly walked on to visit Heaven.

Seems as he had made his way from his in-town home out to his home on Sugar Island. 

He had planned on doing yardwork. I do not know how much he got done...

He died yesterday afternoon, upon his tractor, and doing his work. 

After being ill for so long I can only imagine he may have wished for such a passing.

He knows no suffering now- For he knows only peace.

Taken upon our last visit to Sault Sainte Marie; as we drove from town.

Odd isn't it? Precious too-  To know that this picture is the last I took of him. Indeed, it was to be the last image I have of Uncle Chum in my mind 

As he waved to us, and smiling, from the ferry, The Sugar Islander II...

Rest in peace my dearest uncle- 

Already now, you have met our Maker, the Creator, and already he has shown you the joy of your death- This, for your life, well~lived.

But it is heavy hearts that you have left us with- [behind]- 

You will be always be thought of with abiding respect to the spirit that you have, that you have shared so freely with me, that you have shown to all of my children. 

You will forever be remembered with all my love.
That same love that is our own perpetual heart-light.

My love to you- 

For it is always that I will be grateful for the love you have always given to me.

Anne

PS
 - And just to keep you smiling... 

May there always be many cute nurses where you are!    J     

 hehehe