Monday, November 7, 2016
November 4th, 2016 ~
Dearest, Luminous, Adelle
These past days have brimmed, overflowed with thoughts of You – bestirring so many cherished memories (and even today, awakening more and more) – and every one - brings a SMILE – a smile that is lit by your own, radiant, infectious SMILE.
And Your voice, we can hear it now, melodic – and bright – genuine! Candid, perceptive and always on the mark -and to the point.
- a voice - that spoke of - and from - KINDNESS (which is perhaps an old-fashioned word, one that might be vanishing in this world of ours today).
You - were driven always, by a deep and committed kindness: – Sensitive, caring, loving, giving…
- that’s Adelle.
Methinks you did not want people to talk about you because to talk about you on such a day as this, might evoke sadness - and your whole being was about SELFLESSNESS, about joy – about lightness and about--- Others…
And Adelle, ‘OTHERS’ for you rippled into such wide, limitless and overlapping circles.
You lived for FAMILY – yours from your childhood, - - Paul’s - your own wonderful children – and their children – and their friends - and yours ----
FRIENDSHIP was everything for you. – friendship/family - one and the same
– LUCKY US!~ – for we are all your KIN.
And you loved DANCE! & You LOVED - DANCERS! Thinking back to those early days in the National Ballet of Canada, which for you and for Paul, was not an organization where he was President - but an assemblage of friends, family, audience and kin - - devoted to reveling in the beauty of our art – AND the very serious business of keeping it alive.
You and Paul charmed our lives with your unconditional love. You parented all of us- you believed in us - - and though risk-filled, complex and challenging – you believed in ballet in Canada, and the excellence of our own National Ballet.
And so, might we talk TO you today? Might we delight in the passions and joys you opened up to us, that you unstintingly shared with us
– English country gardens, Lake Simcoe Sundays, books - of stories, of images – of whimsy - and of knowledge.
– might we share delicious memories of family feasts – of bountiful dining tables, laden with roasts and home-baked sweets - AND - as the chairs multiplied - insider jokes of FHB – family hold back - which I realize now- with Adelle’s open table - may really have occurred more times than not, and, confirmed just now by James.
- AND long before GOOGLE, - YOU were an inexhaustible source - a FUND of TIPS!~ about how to do, or solve, just about anything!
- – remove red wine stains from white tablecloths and carpets, bring down a baby’s fever (my baby’s fever),
- Of your needlework –the sweater you knit on the finest needles (that took you a year to make), your hand smocked gossamer dress made for Jessica for her 1st birthday – an heirloom.
- - I even remember – how you taught me how to skin crimson golden peaches – to sweet-bake them in the oven, and then and slather and broil with brown sugar and sour cream
- And speaking of cream – what about the miracles which you’d extol - of Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream which when applied by you Adelle, soothed, softened and even cured cuts and scrapes& burns
Paul was a pre-eminent President of the National Ballet of Canada – and You, were the ultimate First Lady. It is legend now, how, in order to pay the astronomical price-tag of Rudolf Nureyev’s Sleeping Beauty in 1972, Paul took out a mortgage on your house and persuaded other members of the Board to follow suit. That - is a commitment that I know, you took together.
Adelle you were always there for us injured dancers. You were the one who linked me up with Dr. Hugh Smythe – the Toronto Maple Leafs’ physician. You comforted me in recovery, from shattering knee surgery which kept me away from the stage for 14 months. About 3 months in, we were driving when I said - “Adelle can I tell you a secret, I’m going to have a baby”. WELL!!! You GASPED & SWERVED and came this close to hitting a lamppost! You pulled over breathless, and hugged me tight - in rapture!
☺ - SMILE~
I will give an aside ABOUT Adelle now
~Did I say how perceptive Adelle was – and – to the point?
About 4 years ago having lunch at Bradgate Arms - Adelle suggested that Jennifer help a special friend and me, design our first trip to Paris together. So happy for me she was - and again – with spot-on advice she added; - “don’t blow it!”
--A memory just a night ago, popped up in the wee hours - - of the time the Board of Directors, for which I was the Dancers’ representative, and all the Staff of the National Ballet of Canada, celebrated Paul’s exemplary tenure in the leadership of the Company. It was I think, in 1978 – we were gathered in the Ballroom of St. Lawrence Hall – there were many speeches and tributes to him -and when it came time for Paul to respond to the accolades - he turned away from the podium! -
-picked up a bouquet of flowers tucked behind, - and he spoke of - ADELLE -
-with a catch in his voice
- And he strode from the podium, into the hall - back along the rows of people gathered and gave her favourite flowers to his wife - whom he announced, was truly the presiding guardian of our National Ballet.
He was in tears – and so were we.
And Today, for Adelle, yes, there are tears - shining ones - of joy, and the grace and bliss of memory – of her knitting all of us together with infinite, caring stitches
joined by - her unforgettable KINDNESS & KINSHIP.
(Veronica Tennant, C.C.; spoken from the heart, at St. Andrew's United Church on Friday November4th, 2016)
