My heartfelt sympathy to Tanya Nowdluk-Gladue

My heart goes out to Tanya Nowdlak-Gladue. I felt a kinship for what Tanya felt after the loss of her father.

I lost custody of my daughter when she was four years old. Also, like Tanya and her father, our communication was sporadic. Though I tried my utmost to stay close, geography and disagreements with her father kept us apart. Even so, she was never forgotten and always in my heart.

My mother knew my pain. Her words of encouragement were, “She will come back. Wait until she grows into maturity. She will seek you.” (Thank you Mother.)

Recently, a few days before my daughter’s 19th birthday, I accidentally found my daughter’s paternal grandmother’s phone number. I trudged up whatever French I had and called my daughter’s grandmother, who, through a trilingual niece, relayed my daughter’s phone number to me 12 hours later.

Every time her birthday came, I cried days on end and some more on holidays. But on the morning after I had called the grandmother, I felt renewal, eagerly anticipating our reconnection.

When I finally reached her, I had expected torrents of tears, but it was a wondrous moment. Now I feel that I can really smile and laugh out loud.

And to Tanya and her family, I send my heartfelt sympathy. Though your father’s death was untimely, I am glad you had a little time with him and that he acknowledged you and pictures of your children with that single tear. I’m sure it was to say, “I love you and I’ll always be there.”

Susie E. Gordon
Kuujjuaq