I want to write about mom, a woman who dedicated her life to service of others.  This included being a nurse, a mother to six children, a wife, and a truly active member of the church.

Dorothy, Dotty, June Wagg (Ehnes) born June 20th, 1923, passed away May 30th, 2015 at the wonderful age of 92!  Mom grew up in Toronto in the Weston area, to parents May and Art Ehnes.  She was the oldest of 4 sisters, and an active tennis player all while attending the University of Toronto, graduating as a Registered Nurse.

Mom’s career was short as she met my dad near the end of then war.  Dad was a ham radio operator for the Canadian Air Force, while mom was doing some work with the Victorian Order of Nurses in Vancouver.  Mom and dad met while waiting for a street car in Vancouver, fell in love, and were married a few months later by dad’s dad, Frank, in Saskatoon where his family settled.

Once married, I remember mom often reflected on the time where they lived in a one bedroom apartment in Toronto with a shared bathroom with the floor of tenants.  Dad was finishing his University, graduating as a Geophysical Engineer.  Oh, did I mention that  they had twin boys at the same time?  Dad studying, mom trying to take care of the boys while drying their diapers on a clothesline, during the winter months, frozen!  Mom had to paint the toenails of the boys to keep them straight during such a busy time.

Dad’s work then offered an opportunity to move to South Africa.  I wish I could find this photo of mom.  Beautiful blond hair, fancy hat, pencil skirt and high healed shoes, right out of a movie scene tending to her twin 2 year olds.  It all looked so romantic until mom sharing the memory of Rick and Dave, “The Twin’s”, throwing their only shoes over board!  She said the boys had to wear socks given by some of the sailors for the remainder of the journey over seas.  How lucky we are today to have Instagram and Facebook to showcase our lives.  Trying to piece this back together does no justice to what liked was like in those times.

During the six years spent in South Africa, Brian, their third boy, was born.  He was quickly nick named “Cryin’ Brian” as he became the experimental guinea pig to test drive the many go carts built by The Twins!  I never heard any stories about how hard life was over there, only that mom always missed the seasons that’s we get here in Canada.  My favourite memory from this time was told by my oldest brother at mom and dad’s 50th Wedding anniversary.  The boys were running in and out, fighting over who had gotten into trouble, and my 90 pound little Irish mom was stuck sitting on the washer, holding it down through the spin cycle, telling the kids “Once this spin cycle is done!!!”  How she did it, I’ll never know!

She taught me so many things that I didn’t realize at the time, like so many of you and your mothers.

The next adventure for the Wagg’s was to move to Jerome, Arizona.  It was here that, perhaps, the last child was born. Leslie, a girl!  I can imagine how excited mom must have been to finally have a girl to teach other things to.  Don’t get me wrong, my mom was tubing behind the boat at the cottage and tobogganing well into her 70’s, but she did love to sew and cook! 

I thinkLes was about 6 when the family returned to Toronto where mom and dad both had their extended families.  Not being the right fit, dad moved his company, Terra GeoTerrex, to Ottawa.  Settling in Manotick, mom decided she wanted yet more children.  Her thoughts were to adopt a baby that was a different nationality.  What a progressive move in the 1960’s, in a small village, Manotick, to do something that would most certainly make you the “Talk of the Town”.

And there she was, Donna Lee.  She was Chinese/Italian/French descendant and all chubby cheeks and smiles!  More on Donna as she deserves her own blog because of our unique relationship in this amazing family!  We were kind of the second set of twins in family as you can see by how mom dressed us….insert eye roll!

Once Donna got to be about 4, mom decided it was time to adopt again.  Arriving at Children‘s Aid in Ottawa, she told me she came into a room with about 6 children.  She said I was so skinny and all eyeballs and l looked Iike I needed the most help.  

My sister-in-law Wendy, since passed away, told me about her perspective of the day I came home.  After school, everyone came to the house to see the new Indian baby.  Can you imagine what that was like in 1968, how it was to bring children into your home that were different nationality and looked so different?  I can honestly say, that my whole family has never treated me other than extremely special.  I know I am blessed but did not always feel that way growing up.  Being adopted is tough, and there are lots of times I fell different, like you’re not one of the pack, but with perseverance and love, I came to know how loved I am.

When I started this journey, I was on a Wine Wednesday Zoom call with my brothers and sisters about 6 months ago.  I told them what journey I was going on with this blog. I was nervous because I am writing about my feelings and our family, when my oldest brother  Dave said that adopting Donna and I was the best thing that had happened to our family.

I had never heard this thought before, so please, tell those in your lives how you really feel. It does make a difference because you can not always assume people know how important they are to you!