Eventually all paths must come to an end
EDITOR’S NOTE: In 2013 retired nurse and midwife Mary Buie approached The Expositor with a mission. She had recently been diagnosed with breast cancer and was wondering whether this newspaper would be interested in following her journey as she battled the disease. It was with some trepidation that this paper agreed as the eventual outcome was far from certain to be positive. What followed was an engaging series that leavened a very serious health issue with Ms. Buie’s irrepressible personality. Ms. Buie recently informed The Expositor that she would once again be facing down cancer. The Expositor continued the series ‘Following Hope’s Path’ to relay the ongoing story of her journey. This entry marks the end of the series as Ms. Buie passed this past weekend.
Ms. Buie’s celebration of life will take place Sunday, April 30 from 1 pm to 3 pm at the M’Chigeeng Community Complex. Her strict wishes were for everyone to wear bright, happy colours!
by Michael Erskine and Mary Buie
KAGAWONG—And so we come to the end of the journey. The indefatigable force that was Mary Buie has begun her spirit journey, stepping confidently into the light to finally meet her Saviour. Ms. Buie was working on her thoughts in these last days, but her time came before the next installment of Following Hope’s Path could be written.
Ever a practical individual and knowing full well that her time was near and uncertain of how long she would be able to do so, Ms. Buie composed her final message of hope and faith to the community during her final days.
These are her final words to her friends and community on Manitoulin and across the globe.
“Thank you to you all for seeing me through thick and thin, good times and bad, throughout my cancer journey. Your prayers and good thoughts have helped me a lot. It has been quite a ride! I have thoroughly enjoyed the sharing and thank The Expositor for letting me do it. It was good to share stories that were relevant to so many of us. We need each other. Life can change at a moment’s notice—our stories shared should help us all.
Never stop being thankful and grateful—be happy, be positive. Look after each other—we all need love. Let’s all give it out all of the time. Also let us do our best to really try and walk in each other’s moccasins and be patient and kind.
“Build up self-esteem, don’t break it down. Everyone needs a bit of love and maybe they have not ever been given that. Praise when praise is deserved; don’t be afraid to say I love you; you can never say it too much.
“God has given me a very good life. He has looked after me well with all the prayers you have given me around the world.
“I have always had a strong faith. We know not what is beyond this life, but I feel there is something. We are all connected—it is the circle of life. I believe in eternal life. I am not afraid. I will embrace it. I am sure I am connected with you all somehow. Goodbye.”
On behalf of The Expositor, it has been an honour and a privilege to have joined this most remarkable of individuals over these past few years as she travelled fearlessly on her path of hope. Ms. Buie never wavered from her mission to use her own trials as she battled a disease being faced by far too many of us.
Her entire life has been an inspirational study in service to humanity and her community, sustained through faith, dedication and a determination that saw her defeat one of the most aggressive forms of cancer for more than a decade. Ms. Buie will be missed.
Ba maa pii.
