By Chance Alone, The World Around Us, Give'r all ya got!
Good Morning from Prince Edward Island,
Thank you for inviting me in for a cup of tea, put the kettle on and let's chat.
Don't wish to start off with sad news, but we lost someone dear to us late last week.
Windsor MacDougall, my wife's brother was an incredible force of nature; we lost him to a heart attack last week. He was a wonderful family man leaving his best friend and wife Linda to shepherd their four adult children through the phases of their lives. He was a strong man of faith. He had a great sense of humour with the ability to make a pile of rocks laugh. I loved Windsor for his willingness to help anyone who needed it without considering his sacrifice financial or otherwise. He will be missed. He was so loved by all who knew him.
Heart disease is the number one killer of life in the world, and I found watching this video is a fantastic testament to our human desire to improve itself continually.
Many of us wish that extraordinary things will happen to us, but we have all the potential to make extraordinary things happen for good as well.
The flip side of doing things for good is the story of what happened to Max Eisan.
Tibor “Max” Eisen was born in Moldava, Czechoslovakia into an Orthodox Jewish family. He had an extended family of sixty members, and he lived in a family compound with his parents, his two younger brothers, his baby sister, his paternal grandparents and his uncle and aunt. In the spring of1944--five and a half years after his region had been annexed to Hungary and the morning after the family’s yearly Passover Seder--gendarmes forcibly removed Eisen and his family from their home. They were brought to a brickyard and eventually loaded onto crowded cattle cars bound for Auschwitz-Birkenau. At fifteen years of age, Eisen survived the selection process, and he was inducted into the camp as a slave labourer.
Just days after his 90th birthday, Max Eisen has been named the winner of CBC’s annual Canada Reads competition for his Holocaust memoir his 2016 book, By Chance Alone tells his story of being taken to Auschwitz at the age of 15 to work as a slave labourer. He came to Canada in 1949.
"I am inspired by the need to document my story so others may learn from the past. On a personal level, I have a highly developed sense of observation of the world around me, which constantly inspires and motivates me to take action." Max Eisen
Here he speaks to why he wrote it.
I have ordered two books, one for me and one for you. Anyone who comments on today's blog will have their name put into a hat, and a draw will be done, and one winner will be announced in next weeks blog. As soon as the name is chosen, the book will be wrapped up with some treats and sent to its new home.
Today's blog is not about dying; it is about living. Our legacy of being a friend to someone still has time to be learned and nurtured. If already a good friend to others, encourage others to be good friends as well.
"The hunger to belong is at the heart of our nature. Cut off from others; we atrophy and turn in on ourselves. The sense of belonging is the natural balance of our lives." John O'Donohue, Eternal Echoes
Just to put a million and a billion in perspective, did you know that a million seconds represents 11 days, and a billion seconds represents 33 years?
On that note, I have to run, good friend coming for tea to discuss David Benner's The Gift of Being Yourself. It is a compassionate and accessible, witty and fun book. A gift to the dedicated seeker of knowledge.
While writing this morning, I have been listening to a new Shubert recording by Khatia Buniatishvili while writing this morning. It is so kind to the psyche. Listen here. The passion with which she interprets and plays is another example of humanity's heart displaying the beauty of our design. Each of us is unique and special, symbolically shared through her expression of each musical note.
Wishing you a wonderful weekend, you have 86,400 seconds today. Don't be anxious, have fun and use them wisely.
With love from Prince Edward Island,
Bruce
ps.
Three seniors are out for a stroll.
One of them remarks, “It’s windy.”
Other replies, “No way. It’s Thursday.”
The last one says, “Me too. Let’s have a soda.”
Comments
Tati said:
So very sorry for the loss of you brother-in-law. May he rest in peace and in the knowledge of the gifts he shared of himself ere meaningful to those he shared them with. I picked up the By Chance Alone, after reading your blog. It is an excellent book, and an important reminder to be vigilant – the roots of hatred and the destructive actions that are spawned by ignorance are alive and active (and by times in places sanctioned). We live in a time where we have the power to love, and as Maya Angelou said “love liberates”. Thank you for the beautiful music you shared.
Peace.
April 06, 2019
Marjorie Foster said:
So very sorry to hear of your loss, but also know that the wonderful memories you have made will be with
you and your family forever. I trust they will be a real comfort. Thank you also for your blog. You never
fail to encourage and challenge me with your articles. This one especially reminds me that how we respond makes such a difference, not to just us, but strangely and encouragingly to the “world” around us.
Thank you again.
April 06, 2019
Kay Schuld said:
May the Lord grant you & your family strength & peace through this difficult time.
I so enjoy your blogs, they are inspiring & thoughtful.
Kay Schuld
April 02, 2019
Mary Buckingham said:
You are right Bruce, it is about living, not dying. I have visited 4 Concentration Camps during my travels in Europe, and I was always left with sadness but more importantly, witnessing their strength to LIVE!
In very small ways they would try to stay ‘human’ during a very inhumane time in our history. They were not treated with dignity but they lived the best they could with dignity and kindness to each other. Some people have asked me why I have visited so many of these camps, and the answer is simple…these people should not be forgotten. We must be reminded to LOVE each other!
My condolences to both you and Shirley with the loss of such a vibrant member of your family. Maybe I will see you both again in Palm Springs when I visit the 2 Steve’s, and we can sit down for a cup of tea :-)
April 01, 2019
Debbie said:
I am so very sorry for your loss, and I will pray for the Lord’s comfort and peace to be very real to you and your family especially now.
I always look forward to your blogs. It’s my weekly “reminder” to live more mindfully and intentionally.
April 01, 2019
Susan E. Elliott-Johns said:
As always, I’d like to thank you for your thoughtful and inspirational blog, Bruce…. I was late to reading this week, but can honestly say my Monday is all the richer for it!
Sincere condolences to you and Shirley on the loss of your dear Windsor. Along with Liszt, may the love and support of your family and friends there on the Island (and all of us far and wide) also be kind to your psyche at this difficult time.
April 01, 2019
Sharon L Lapointe said:
Sorry for the loss of your loved one.
Loved the story and the misic.
Have a blessed week.
April 01, 2019
Bryce schnare said:
Love your blogs…..Karen and I flew to Anna Maria Island this weekend for our 10th annual April fun in the sun. Our seat mate was this wonderful person travelling with here dog, who we discovered was also a great friend of yours…….Doris the BLOND tour bus driver… look forward to seeing you soon
Bryce
April 01, 2019
Betty said:
Bruce, You did a wonderful job selecting the music for this week. As I listened I had a sense of your beloved brother-in law,Max Eisen and all that is beautiful with family and with life. The many memories you have will always keep Windsor alive. God bless all of you.
April 01, 2019
Ann Bustard said:
Like so many others, I look forward to reading your blog each weekend. I send prayers to your family as they deal with the sudden loss of a very special person. Just think of all those who he has touched during his time here on earth! I was so interested to read about Max Eisen . Here in N.C., I heard a survivor speak a few years back ; he was in his nineties at the time . That experience had a profound effect on me, and I have never forgotten that brave man. It is amazing how survivors can remember in such detail those horrendous atrocities. It hurts me so much to know what so many endured because of such an evil man! Love to hear about the books and music. PEI is a dream location for its inhabitants and its visitors!
March 31, 2019
Karen said:
Hugs to you and Shirley at this difficult time. Thoughts are with you both
Karen & Roger
March 31, 2019
Mary Mosher said:
So sorry for your loss Bruce. I hope the wonderful memories you must have will help ease the pain of your loss.
And thanks for sharing that wonderful piece of music! – Mary
March 31, 2019
Betty Plucinski said:
Bruce, thank you for letting us into your family happenings once again – although at the moment we are certainly sharing a sad time with you and yours. However, I wonder if those pile of rocks that seemed to come “alive” with laughter – are now just welcoming your dear brother-in-law to a new happy place. God bless all.
March 31, 2019
Elaine Erhart said:
Thank you for your blog. I wanted to send you this ‘author unknown’ quote that has been such a help to me as we see more and more family and friends entering into eternity. AWA is now a common expression in our daily lives, like it or not! (As We Age). Our prayers are with you as you seek God’s comfort and hold each other a little tighter today.
We will hold you and your family before the Lord this week and trust Him to give each of you added strength and comfort you will need as this week progresses.“Grief never ends but it changes.
It is a passage, not a place to stay.
Grief is not a sign of weakness
nor a lack of faith.
It is the price of love.”
March 31, 2019
Kay Johnson said:
Thank you for another wonderful blog. Reading them keeps the wonderful memory alive of our visit to beautiful PEI and your special place on it. May knowing that the one your family loved is now with the One who loves all of you, bring you great comfort.
March 31, 2019
Cindy Wohl said:
I am sorry for your loss. Thank you for the food for thought. Aloha for now
March 30, 2019
Lynne Powell said:
First I would like to tell you how sorry I am for your loss. Your brother-in-law sounded like a wonderful man. By Chance Alone—what a great title. So much of what happens to us is by chance alone. I read many books about the horrid concentration camps, the atrocities committed & prisoners whose will to survive is nothing short of phenomenal. I just this morning finished The Tatoiist if Auschwitz. Although it is a novel it is the true story of a young Slovakian Jew who spent three years in Birkenau but was taken daily to work at Auschwitz. Lake & Max had much in common. I am placing Max’s book on my To Read list.
March 30, 2019
Sharon Rock said:
I was sorry to hear of the death of your brother-in-law, it is very sad to lose the ones we love. Max Eisens book looks very interesting and I will read it at some point. Both my husband and I read and follow a lot of stories from WW1 and WW2 so many lives lost and it’s still happening today in many countries. Sadly after 40 years of renting the same cottage in Victoria by the sea, the cottage has been sold. As it is late in the year to rent a place, it looks like we won’t be going to PEI this summer. A great disappointment as we have been bringing our grandchildren the last few years. Well, things change and we will get there next year for sure by booking early. However the memories our family have of that cottage will always be first place in our hearts. I enjoy your blog it always makes me feel very close to good old PEI and what’s not to love about that.
March 30, 2019
Nathalie Lefrancois said:
My condolences to you and Shirley on the loss of your loved one. Thanks for taking the time to write your Saturday blogs. They are always very inspiring! So lovely to see comments from all over the world.
March 30, 2019
Michelle Arnold said:
I’m so grateful for your weekly blog and your insight in the midst of challenging days. I look forward to each post and you often make me feel like I once again have a taste of PEI (all the way from Texas). I’m sorry for your loss this week. Thank you for the reminder to make the most of each day and leave a legacy worth remembering.
March 30, 2019
Jennifer Devereaux said:
Home is the sailor, home from the sea,
Robert Lewis StevensonAnd the hunter home from the hill.
My heart is with you and the family for your loss.
I appreciate your blog and have wonderful memories of my visit to your restaurant in October 2012. I still make orders for the delicious products and each Christmas place an ornament on the tree I got from your shop.
Comfort and love
March 30, 2019
Monica Bye said:
I appreciate your blogs each and every week. It is a time to rest and be blessed. My prayers are with you and your family during this difficult time.
March 30, 2019
Debbie Carr said:
Condolence to your family. I lost my sister to cancer on Christmas Day and we are thankful fot the time we had. I watched the debate on Canada reads and was so glad that By Chance Alone was the winner, although I plan to read all of them. Have a great week. Spring is here.
Debbie
March 30, 2019
Rose Mary Culp said:
Life hands us many unexpected events, but the unexpected loss of a vibrant human is one of the toughest. Our thoughts and prayers go out to you and all of his family.
March 30, 2019
Susan Waterman said:
My condolences to you and your family. I so appreciate your blog posts each weekend and have shared many of them with family and friends down here in Rhode Island.
March 30, 2019
Michelle Abushar said:
Bruce, my sincere condolences on the sad loss of your dear brother-in-law whose name is a reminder of my hometown, Windsor, Ontario. My husband and I shopped at your wonderful Preserve Co. on Wed., Sept. 19, 2012 during a bus tour of eastern Canada. Loved your kilt! Due to disability, our travelling days are over but I will never forget PEI or the day we stopped by your store. I wish you good health to continue uplifting us with your very thoughtful blogs and recommendations on books and music. Much appreciated. Thank you! Blessings, Michelle
March 30, 2019
Louise Lowther said:
We read your weekly blog and have recommended it to several others. Some of our family reads it in Wyoming every week! We love it and look forward to your recommendations for music and reading. Keep ‘me comin’!
March 30, 2019
Denise Richard said:
I am trying very patiently to read your wonderful blog with my cat Mr Jingles purring and nudging me to pay attention to him and not my computer. Thank you for taking the time to write, it is always interesting. Hoping to visit PEI preserve once again this coming summer.
March 30, 2019
marianne said:
I am so sorry to hear about your Brother in Law- It is always hard to lose someone close but a sudden loss is so hard. My thoughts are with you and your family. I have come to look forward to your blog each week it always give me something to thing about. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and the wonderful stories and Ted talks.
March 30, 2019
Meaghan said:
So sorry for the loss of your brother-in-law. I’m currently reading The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion… it’s about how the author dealt with the sudden death of her husband and it is quite good, should you or anyone in your family want to check it out.
March 30, 2019
Cindy Hughes said:
Bruce, I would first like to express my condolences on the loss of your brother-in-law, Windsor MacDougall.
Max’s book will be interesting to read. I can’t imagine what it was like for Max at 15 going through that and losing his family. I am glad he survived and is telling his story. My parents both came to Canada after the war with their families. They came from different parts of the Netherlands and have told us some of their stories from war time but kept a lot to themselves.
I have visited the Preserve Company having a delicious meal and sampling and buying preserves for our stay in PEI. Looking forward to going again some day.
March 30, 2019
Sheila Smith said:
I have very pleasant memories of times spent in your area and your fabulous food offerings at your restaurant. Now I get the same pleasure by faithfully reading your blog every weekend and checking out your suggestions on new literary and musical items. Sorry to hear about your brother-in-law’s passing; a shock to you all I am sure. Thinking of you and yours.
March 30, 2019
Bob Griffin said:
Share our prayers with your brother-in-law’s family at their loss. Life is fragile, without guarantees sans one – we all will someday stand facing our Creator.
Thank you for relating the story of Max. In this day of revisionist history, many ignore the real-life horrors of the world. Making it real – with a name and face – will keep alive both the facts and the lessons of man’s inhumanity to man.
March 30, 2019
Hilary Clare said:
My condolences to both you and Shirley and your family. Sometimes lure is hard for no reason at all.
I do not need you to put my name in the draw for the book. I hope someone else will get it, read it and absorb Max’s courage and honour. These are words we don’t often hear anymore. I read his book and was thrilled it won Canada Reads! His story is overwhelming and heartbreaking by turns but so worth reading so that we understand and remember where hate can take us but also where love will eventually heal us. Thanks for writing your blog I look forward to my Saturday morning tea and read-riches indeed.
March 30, 2019
Joan Juskiw said:
My prayers are with you and your family Bruce. So sad about your dear brother – in – law. So sad to read
another story about what happened during Hitlers time…We should all remember that this could happen
again and everyone is the same . Just love, Live and be happy. Life is short. Be gentle, be kind . Be aware
The Sun will always shine….
.
March 30, 2019
Allison LeBlanc said:
Hi Bruce,
Watching the snow turn to freezing rain here in Ottawa my husband and I are reviewing the packet of info from our friends at Tourism PEI and enjoying the photos.Proof that the world turns and the seasons do change. Sadly, as you know, the seasons change bringing happiness ( hurray, it’s June, back to the Island!)
but they can bring sadness too. Loss of those we love is inevitable if we are allowed the privilege of growing older. I lost my beloved older brother to brain cancer two years ago this June. That season I will never forget but subsequent seasons have brought the birth of a grandson for me and one for him too. Too little boys who have brought great joy to more than a few aching hearts. We occasionally see my brother’s face flash by on the faces of those little guys and we know he is with us.
My deepest condolences on the loss of your brother in law, I hope you too see his face in his children and future generations and know he is still there with his family.
Musings on friendship: my 94yr old father would often say “You need to be a friend to have a friend” his friends are fewer these days but he still takes the time to keep in touch with those that remain.
Here’s to an inspiring week ahead, the seasons are changing and April is here!
March 30, 2019
Meaghan said:
So sorry for the loss of your brother-in-law. I’m currently reading The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion… it’s about how the author dealt with the sudden death of her husband and it is quite good, should you or anyone in your family want to check it out.
March 30, 2019
Julie Joly said:
March 30, 2019
Elizabeth Tilley said:
Max Eisan is an inspiration to us all- still going to the gym at 90. His story became so alive to all of us thanks to the wonderful Canada Reads presenters this year.
And sympathy in the death of your family member.
Until next week’s wisdom- Elizabeth
March 30, 2019
Joan Cummins said:
Enjoy reading your blog on Saturdays with a cuppa.
Sorry for the loss of Winston.
Take care.
March 30, 2019
Betty Morgan said:
Please give your wife a big hug for me. My brother died when he was 49 after open heart surgery, the first they did in Halifax in 1972. Those were the days when they opened up the chest cavity, ribs and all. He was butchered in an attempt to repair his heart after a massive heart attack. He left his wife and five sons and a sister who was devastated. He was my hero. A paratrooper who was dropped behind enemy lines on D Day, shot in the chest by
a machine gunner and left to die in a trench for 8 hours before he was found and brought back to the lines, but not before he had carried out his part of the mission. He was mentioned in dispatches and there are many books about that time of his life. He came home, finished high school which he had left to join up, and with the help
of the government, got a degree in Fine Arts from Mount Allison. He led his class. His teachers were Alex Colville, a war artist, Ted Pulford, and Lawren Harris Jr. He helped Alex paint his house! They had veterans
quarters, little apartments in long buildings off campus where he lived with his little family. (The first two of the five boys). So I can truthfully say, I know how your sister feels and will feel as time goes on. It is bittersweet as
I age and know that he didn’t get a chance to live to see any of his 11 grandchildren. All artistic and into music and drama art. It is wonderful that you are there to support her in her grief, because she will need you.
Thank you for the opportunity to get that all out!
March 30, 2019
Terry Greenham said:
Thanks for your blogs. They are very inspirational.
March 30, 2019
Gillian Keane said:
My condolences on the loss of your brother in law. The joy he brought to your family will be with you always. Max Eisen sounds so inspiring.
My Saturday is not complete until I have read your blog. This morning as I am watching the snow in Ottawa, your blog remindsme that August is coming and our annual trip to PEI is coming with it.
March 30, 2019
Diana Chandler said:
I too look forward to reading your blog every Saturday. It’s my little touch of PEI until I can get back there. I am counting the days until May and my return to Cavendish. My deepest condolences on the loss of your brother in law.
March 30, 2019
June Wadden said:
So sorry for your loss. Enjoy reading your Blogs
March 30, 2019
MURDOCK MORRISON said:
Bruce , so sorry to learn of the passing of your wife’s brother and appreciate your commentary of him. Also, it was important to use Chuck Murray’s insight into the heart as it is a book I will read later and the insights that he has for this disease. Your second book from Max Eisen on the Holocaust is also one that I can add to the books that will be on my reading list for 2019 . Your music selection this morning by Shubert is not one that I listen to as I listen to the music of the 80s and 90s – old favourites and that is why we are doing what we love to do in this wonderful life that we all have- have a great day Bruce- murdock
March 30, 2019
Kay Ingalls said:
Thank you for your blog. I was especially moved by this one. I am so sorry for the loss of a loved one in your family. I lost my mother to a heart attack in recent years. I found the stem cell research hopeful and the Schubert recording took me to a place of peace in my body and my mind. What a wonderful way to start my day. Blessings 💚
March 30, 2019
Dale Harman said:
So sorry to hear about your loss. Praying that God’s peace will surround you and Shirley and the family. We have a blessed hope that one day we will be reunited to never part again. Blessings! Dale Harman
March 30, 2019
Carol McFarlane said:
As I do your blog, I follow Canada Reads every year and admire not only the chosen authors but the panelists chosen to represent them with such passion and research. I particularly look forward to reading By Chance Alone – there are so few survivor voices left to tell the story. Condolence on the loss of your wonderful brother in law.
March 30, 2019
Marylou Sinnott said:
Enjoyed reading your blog as I always do – thank you and enjoy your weekend with family and friends.
March 30, 2019