My cathedral family,

Please excuse my tardiness in writing this note to you. I want to thank each and every one of you for all that you did to make my retirement celebration such a lovely event. I know that preparing for such an occasion is a great deal of work.

The morning service was so joyful and meaningful. The pink and turquoise decorations in the John West Hall were so pretty, and the food; the sandwiches, dainties, and cakes were delicious. I thank you for such a wonderful retirement gift, I love the gold watch and will always treasure it. Mark and I have used the Cathedral mugs often and, of course, we think of you each time. I was, and continue to be, both humbled and delighted that so many of you came to celebrate my retirement. It was really special to have my family present and also to have so many fine people honour me with their kind words.

Retirement is good. I’ve certainly discovered how short each day actually is, I see the kids heading off to school each morning, and it seems only moments have passed before they’re heading home for lunch. I have to admit that I haven’t accomplished a lot around home yet, I’ve luxuriated in the unscheduled time. I miss you all. I am blessed to have shared sixteen plus years with you. You are such a caring community and each of you has such good gifts to offer.

I wish you all God’s continued blessings!

With love,
Sincerely,
Shirley Trumper