Afterlife

It's a sad start to a happy story, but in this column, a Toronto Star reporter met Shelagh Gordon at her funeral. The columnist describes Shelagh's as an ordinary, magical life -- and I think her description is apt.

The writing itself is straightforward and lovely, but it's the person who Shelagh was that is most extraordinary. Because -- pardon me for being philosophical -- it's the person who all of us are. She didn't invent anything extraordinary; she didn't save the world. She just made a difference to a lot of other ordinary people.

And it's the project itself that put a smile on my face. The Toronto Star sent reporters to Shelagh's funeral, and interviewed more than 100 of her friends and family members about her life.

It's ambitious, and difficult, and it could have gone a lot of different ways. But the story it tells is a strong one. It's how Shelagh will live on for her family, for her friends.

There are a lot of thoughts rattling around in my brain about the idea of meeting someone four days too late (as the columnist describes it), or the joy and sorrow of writing about someone after they've died. But I'll leave them to rattle and instead encourage you to read this lovely profile and be your own "good deed doer... tradition keeper... moral compass," or whatever it is you are. And thanks to all of you for the smiles you give.