A Great One

Just as we did twelve years ago, we spent this past weekend in Toronto. Last time, we were newly married, P was recovering from the flu, and I was determined to make our Plan B honeymoon fun & memorable. We ate in out of the way cafes, saw Phantom, stayed in a ridiculously swanky hotel, and worshipped at the Temple of Lord Stanley. It could not have been a more perfect trip, even if we'd taken more time than the drive from Cincinnati to plan it.

There were, of course, notable differences from that first Toronto weekend on this trip. Instead of enjoying the city's night-life, we were changing hotel rooms at midnight because the nightclub 14 floors below us was so loud that we couldn't sleep. We spent a lot more time in gift shops, the hotel pool, and chasing pigeons this time. We didn't get to eat at the amazing Le Papillon, with its melt-in-your-mouth crepes, but we learned that even in Canada, you can order a foot-long sub at Subway. Who knew?

We ate dinner at Gretzky's on Saturday night, because it was near the hotel and they have the Holy Grail of children's menus, offering not only mac & cheese, but also cheese pizza and spaghetti. Woo hoo for choices!! As we devoured a plate of homemade perogi, we noticed a man making the rounds of the room. People were handing their cameras to waitresses to get pictures taken with him. He was obviously not Wayne Gretzky, but still, he was someone people were thrilled to meet.

Not one to miss out on an opportunity to meet someone thrilling, I asked the waiter. Turns out it was Walter Gretzky, the Great One's dad. And this is what Walter does before Maple Leafs home games... he strolls the dining room of his son's restaurant, signing autographs, taking pictures, chatting with the people, being the Proud Papa. So--when in Rome--we, too, had our audience with Walter, chatted awhile, got his autograph, took some pictures.

And the more I thought about it, the more perfectly this encounter fit for this weekend when I was reflecting heavily on the last twelve years. As I was thinking of all that Life we've lived (and are living right now), Walter's exuberance reminded me of some simple truths: Love Generously, Praise Loudly, Live Fully. Walter is so proud of his son not for his fame or his talent, but simply because he is his son. He lives that love by showing up at this place and being with others who love his son. With that insight, my focus turned to celebrating my family and remembering all the ways we love each other--not because of what we do or what we have, but because of who we are. And so Walter Gretzky reminded me to show up and bring the love more often. I think he, too, deserves the title of Great One.