Blog from the Kootenays : Linda

This post was published January 2 2013. I don’t know why blogger wants to change that date.

Nooveya's mother gave permission to post these pictures. They are all from her Facebook. If this were paper and ink the text would be unreadable because of tears falling on it. Nooveya is pronounced with the emphasis on the second syllable. The name is Inuit, the people of her father's mother.

Nothing soothes the raw howling pain of losing a child. But I find some comfort in these words I once heard in a radio play about a girl who died young. "Lives are like books. Some are long fat novels and some are short stories. Your daughter was a short story. Brief, but nonetheless complete". Nooveya's life was not even a short story.

Her brief life was a song, a bright year of joy and happiness that will always be remembered.

The expression "the space of a dawn" comes from a poem for a friend who has lost a 4 year old daughter. The rest of the poem is pretentious Stoic claptrap but these lines are lovely. They took up residence in my head when my own first born died a day after birth. Pardon my French.
"Mais elle était du monde ou les plus belles choses
ont le pire destin.
Et Rose elle a vécu ce que vivent les roses:
l'espace d'un matin."
(computer does accent aigu on the e but nothing else. Never mind.)
Francois Malherbe

Quicky attempt at translation.
But she was of the world where the most lovely things
are to soon be forlorn
And Rosie has lived the short span of a flower
The space of a morn.

Nooveya did not even have a morning, just a dawn. But what a joyful dawn it was.
Nooveya Sakari Joy Popko was born December 3 2011. Dad Michael and grandma Linda were there.

Brother Evrrdy loved her right away. Uncle Keelan handing over the precious bundle to her big brother.

Big brother with sister at home.

She was smiling by week 5.

Her trademark beaming grin had fully developed by February.

Communing with Grandma Linda.

Below: Nooveya in the arms of her mother Chandra. I love this picture. Nooveeya did not inherit the dimples but had the same happy sparkle as her mother.

The first time I saw Chandra she was in the arms of her beautiful mother Linda, my sister in spirit. Linda is 13 years my junior but has been my guru in matters of homesteading and food preservation. This woman is a master gardener, cook and canner and has passed the gift on to all her children. She is a fantastic mother, competent at everything she does, an incredibly generous, energetic survivor and one of the people I love and admire most on this planet.

Below: a smile in April.

Early spring gave the Popko grandparents a chance to travel from Norman Wells to Greenwood to meet the new grand daughter. Nooveya got to ride in Napatchee's amoutie.

All grandparents together at the Greenwood homestead.

Trust Linda to house and feed multitudes without blinking an eye. Below: kisses for auntie Drisana, Mom's big sister.

Auntie Drisana with cousins Milena(left) and Seren (right).

May saw some adventures: hiking and geocaching in the hills near Kelowna.

Shamelessly flirting with Uncle Keelan.

On top of the mountain with Mommy!

Big brother introducing the joys of the lake.

Zia Aimee came to visit.

Evrrdy graduated from Kindergarten, with Dad and grandma Linda.

Summer brought many outings to beach and playgrounds and visits to family. Nooveya loved exploring nature.

Below: kisses from Opa.

The summer pictures are not necessarily in chronological order. I am trying to put all her loved ones in there.
The girl sure loved her food! Helping auntie Larissa with some baking during a trip to Fort St John in the gas belt.