A SALVE FOR THE SOUL

A mother and son “follow their hearts” to Haida Gwaii

- Penny Heneke

The high-pitched, piercing screeches preceded the sightings of the bald eagles constantly swooping their six-to-eight-foot wingspans over us. In the summer of 2019, my son Brett and I had come for a visit to experience the natural beauty of Haida Gwaii (Islands of the People), a rugged archipelago o British Columbia’s west coast formerly known as the Queen Charlotte Islands. Written in the forward of a complimentary brochure, the president of the Haida Nation welcomed visitors “following your hearts” in coming to Haida Gwaii. He stated, “You are here for a reason and the truth will reveal itself.”

My motivation for coming was twofold. Floored by a stroke more than a year ago, I felt vulnerable and feared more would follow. The event itself and the foreboding for the future robbed me of my chutzpah to seek new experiences. As I recovered, however, I started to feel the urge to venture forth. I also needed to get over the nervousness of leaving home, especially as my son, Brett and his family live quite a distance away from Ontario and I am lucky to see him once a year. Brett is a dreamer like me and shares my sense of adventure. When I mentioned Haida Gwaii, he said it was a destination he’d planned to go to one day.

Brett agreed to escort me for a few days so that we could spend some quality time together. He stipulated that he needed a list of my medications, which I sent, and to know whether I had any health problems. I told him that my only issue was being old.