By Robin Ducharme (Co-Founder Soulprint Media)

It’s not surprising that my parents fell in love and built a life together, sharing 18 years as husband and wife. They came from families steeped in many of the same values.

Today, this room is filled with loved ones connected to both my mom and my dad—family from the Kurz side and the Ducharme side.

My parents modeled what love is.

Love is family.

Love is friendship.

Love is gathering.

Love is connection.

Love is generosity.

Love is inclusion.

Even after my parents divorced, the Kurz family continued to love my father. And the same was true of the Ducharme family with my mom. Why? Because the love between my parents may have changed form, but the love in our family did not end.

What a powerful example we were taught and one that so many of us continue to live in our own lives today.

The Importance of Family

Family was Mom’s highest value.

We went to Grama and Grampa’s for regular Sunday dinners, birthday celebrations, holidays, you name it. The more, the merrier.

Mom believed family should stay connected, stay close, and make time for one another. In fact, she was instrumental in reuniting Dad with his mom, our Grama Edith, after many years apart.

Family wasn’t just important to Mom, it was the foundation she built her life upon.

Friends Are Your Lifeblood

Mom understood something important: life is not meant to be lived alone.

She believed it takes a village.

It takes grandparents.

It takes babysitters.

It takes friends.

It takes people willing to step in and help.

Mom always had many friends. She was close to so many people and wanted to share life surrounded by friends and family.

Every year she would head off on girls’ trips to sunny destinations, and she and Dad would escape on vacations together, leaving us with Grama and Grampa, or a babysitter for two whole weeks, at least a few times a year.

Who does that?

Mom and Dad did.

Mom wasn’t afraid to ask for help, and she knew when she needed time away to reconnect with herself and not be completely consumed by raising three little kids for a little while.

Long before “self-care” became a popular phrase, Mom was practicing it. She trusted her village, relied on others, and taught us that accepting help is not weakness, it is wisdom.

Everyone Is Welcome

As my friends and Reece’s and Blake’s friends can all attest, our home had an open-door policy.

My parents welcomed our friends in and actually wanted us to hang out at home so they could get to know them. And they did.

Our friends ate at our table, slept over at our house, came to the lake, traveled with us, and became part of the family.

Everyone was invited to the cabin in Vernon.

Everyone was welcome.

Nobody was left out.

Mom had a gift for making people feel like they belonged.

Talk to Strangers

Mom was genuinely interested in people.

She would strike up conversations with anyone and everyone, wherever we went.

She could talk to anyone about anything.

What some people see as a rare skill, Mom treated as a way of life.

She taught us from a very young age to talk to strangers because that stranger might become a new friend.

Her curiosity about people opened countless doors and created countless connections throughout her life.

Discipline Is Key in Life

Now, while Mom was loving and fun, she also made sure we knew right from wrong.

And when we stepped out of line, there was no question there would be consequences.

One Christmas, Mom opened a beautiful little wrapped box from Dad, a set of car keys. Waiting in the garage was a shiny brand-new Buick with her name on it.

A few days later, Blake had the bright and brilliant idea that the three of us kids should carve our initials into the side of the car.

Why not?

It seemed like a fantastic idea to our young minds.

Naturally, Mom did not share our enthusiasm.

In famous Mom fashion, she yelled for us to get upstairs and get ready for a joint spanking.

Do you know how many times the three of us endured joint spankings?

It practically became a household ritual.

If one of us was up to no good, chances are all three of us were involved. The Three Musketeers were constantly testing limits, pushing boundaries, and finding new ways to create chaos.

Dad was away for much of the mischief, which meant Mom got stuck being the bad guy and chief disciplinarian.

And she rose to the occasion.

Until… one memorable day when she was chasing Reece and Blake with either a wooden spoon or a hairbrush, we can’t quite remember which (though likely a brush as all of the wooden spoons were broken and trashed by then. What we do remember is that “said spanker” broke in half on impact!

We all laughed so hard.

Turns out, the boys—and I—had officially grown too big for spankings.

Saved by the wrath of Glenda… well… at least until next time.

Work Hard. Do Your Part.

Mom instilled a strong work ethic in all of us.

We made our beds every morning.

We kept our rooms clean.

If Mom cooked, we did the dishes.

Every Saturday we earned our allowance by completing our chores, and Mom conducted a full house inspection before handing over our spending money.

It was a great system.

She taught us that if you want something, you contribute. You do your part. You take care of your home and the people around you.

Whether we were at the lake, at family dinners, or guests in someone else’s home, we were expected to help clean up afterward.

Of course.

Those lessons have stayed with us for life, and they have been passed down to my own children as well.

Be a Gracious Host

Mom was a consummate entertainer.

On weekends, our house was often full of guests.

My parents understood the value of bringing people together to share food, stories, laughter, and life.

Dad’s business was built on relationships, and many of those relationships were nurtured by the hospitality Mom and Dad extended together.

Customers became friends.

Friends became family.

What started as entertaining guests became a lifelong practice of building meaningful relationships.

Mom was a master at it.

She welcomed people with open arms, fed them well, got to know them, cared for them, and somehow made everyone feel like family.

And she had so much fun doing it.

Joy and Fun Are Necessities in Life

If there is one thing everyone in this room can agree on, it’s that Mom was an expert in the art of having fun.

We will all remember her contagious laugh and the huge bright smile she wore so freely.

Mom was a legendary joke teller.

She collected the funniest cards, and the message always said it all. She would simply sign:

Love, Glenda.

Or Mom.

Or Grand.

She had an entire wardrobe dedicated to making people laugh.

Funny shirts.

Funny hats.

Funny napkins.

Funny sayings.

If there was an opportunity for a laugh, Mom found it.

My Bonahan crew still remember days on the lake, riding in Mom’s party boat, and the infamous Mexican paddle. Each flip of the paddle revealed another colourful not-nice-name of choice to dole out - which she did liberally with full gusto. She’d hold it up and give fellow boaters a big: fuck you! Moron! Asshole! One fine day, she gave an undercover cop a piece of her mind with one of those expletives. Fun Mexican paddle confiscated. Game over.

Only Glenda.

She taught us the true value of levity.

The importance of laughter.

And the gift of making other people laugh.

What a beautiful gift that is.

The Power of Prayer

Mom taught us to pray when we were little, kneeling beside our beds at night.

We prayed in gratitude.

“Thank you for our family.

Thank you for our friends.

Thank you for our home.

We said grace before every dinner.

Whenever an ambulance sped past us, Mom would bow her head and say,

“Let’s pray for that person and their family.”

And then there was St. Anthony.

Did you know St. Anthony is the patron saint of lost things?

Mom certainly did.

I can’t tell you how many times she urged us to stop and pray to St. Anthony when something important had gone missing.

Without fail, the passport, the keys, or whatever precious item we were searching for would somehow turn up in fast fashion. St. Anthony saves our bacon again! Rock star material.

We went to church every Sunday, or at least most Sundays, whether we liked it or not.

Looking back, growing up knowing God and having such an intimate relationship with God was one of the greatest gifts Mom ever gave us.

When Reece died, it was prayer and a deep knowing that God was taking care of him—that he was going home to his home, in God’s care. Reece’s middle name was Joseph. Reece lived up to his name. He was directly connected to God through his prayers and the way he walked this Earth. He passed and we t

That knowing brought us peace beyond words.

Today, as we honor Mom, I would like to invite everyone to join hands as we pray to Mother Mary to continue to be Mom’s guide as she navigates her newest journey beyond this lifetime.

Hail Mary, full of grace,

The Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou among women,

and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

pray for us sinners,

now and at the hour of our death.

Amen.

Mom’s presence will surely live on in the family and friends who loved her and whom she loved so deeply. that’s just the way it is.

Please help me in making a special toast to our honorary guest on this day, Glenda Lynn Ducharme!!!

Mom, you were the “Hostess with the Mostest” or rather the “Hostess who shared the Mostest!”

May your naturally born talents be learned and practiced by all of us, as we carry your goodness forward.

Fly high, Mommy!

Xox

Robin