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For those that don't know, my son was an iron worker for many years, he was one of the guys who worked hundreds of feet in the air bolting steel girders together. 20 years ago today something happened and he fell to his death. My daughter posted a nice story about Jim on social media and I thought I'd share it here. Love your kids today because you don't know what might happen tomorrow. +++++++++++ Every December 13th I wake up with a knot in my stomach. How is it that it feels like it was just yesterday but in actuality it’s been 20 years…….7,300 days since you left Mom, Dad & I and altered our lives in the worst way. As each year, each month, each day, each hour, each minute, each second passes and December 13 arrives we are reminded. To say that was the worse day of my life would be an understatement to say the least. I’ll be honest, the seconds, the minutes, the hours, the days that immediately followed are somewhat a blur. His funeral was beautiful. I have never been to a funeral that had that many people. There were so many that people poured out of the chapel, into the lobby of the funeral home, out the front door and down the sidewalk to the left and right. One of the most touching moments of the funeral were the fire trucks parked outside and the firefighters from my Dads station inside as well as an army of Iron Workers, ALL of them standing at the back of the chapel, dirty from top to bottom, steel toed boots and hard hats tucked under their arm. WOW, Jimmy was loved and very well known which, as I said earlier we came to know. Years later while I sat in the waiting room at the doctors office another patient walked in and sat beside me. It was obvious he was an Iron Worker, dirty clothes, steel toed boots and a hard hat covered in Iron Worker stickers. I struck up a conversation with him and told him my brother WAS an Iron Worker. He said “was?” How come he’s not anymore? I proceeded to tell him how Jimmy was killed. He looked at me and said “wait, was your brother Jimmy Knighton?”, which obviously I responded “yes, you knew him?” What he said next made me cry instantly and then proudly I smiled. He said “I didn’t know him personally but everyone in the industry knew who Jimmy Knighton was”. He said “Jimmy was one of THEE best Iron Workers there is”. He said “your brother was an AMAZING Iron Worker, he was fearless, he was tough and he was amazing”. I was in awe when he told me that. What an amazing legacy. Jimmy loved Christmas as much as I did. He was the “garbage man”. First my mom would toss a big black garbage bag to him and the ripping would begin. As we each opened our gifts one after the other, we would smoosh the wrapping paper into a ball and send it hurling at Jimmy so he could put it in the garbage bag. This would continue for 2-3 hours because our parents were lunatics when it came to Xmas shopping. Our livingroom became a minefield because there were so many presents, because we have the best parents. We still do have the best parents and they do STILL spoil me and I’m incredibly grateful for them every single day. However, I do have to admit that I dread Xmas now. I do try to get into the spirit……I decorate at work and my parents and I decorate their house but I have a hard time pushing myself to do any of that and it makes me even more sad that I have to put my parents through that because they know how much I struggle at Christmas. I’ve had a couple of friends say to me over the years…..”C’mon Sheri, it’s been years and years, you need to snap out of it”. That really hurts me when they say that. Do they think I wake up in December and say “ok, well, it’s time to pull out and dust off my miserable and sad personality, attitude and mood?? If only it were that easy. If only I could flip that switch and turn it off as soon as it turns on. It may be easy for some, but for me, not so easy and all I can say to anyone that criticizes me for my lack of jolliness and ho ho ho’s is this…… If you’ve never experienced great loss then you won’t understand the aching feeling of a broken heart it’s a real thing, and until that day arrives and you lose someone you love so much I would appreciate it if you can just keep your opinions to yourself. 20 years ago today, our lives were forever changed, and our broken hearts will forever ache. However, the one thing that did not change and never will is how much we love you Jimmy. We miss you terribly and we will love you ALWAYS +11 All reactions: 33

Just insane...I dont think they even know what the criteria for legal/illegal is...seems to be based on the "look". As long as they don't touch my O/U 20 g bush chicken getter, and .308 venison sausage maker...I'm good. Although my .22 semi-auto tin can plinker might attract their attention...although its an old (Dad bought it for my 16th birthday) Winchester 49O that certainly doesn't have any "assault" DNA 🙄

How cute is this .....

That was wonderful Lew, big kudos to Sheri. I lost my wife over two years ago and I can relate to a lot of what she wrote. I just finished reading the book You are not Alone by Debbie Augenthaler and it helped. She lost her husband suddenly in her 30's and over time went from a securities trader to an award winning psychotherapist dealing with grief and healing.

The "gun ban" is not about protecting tax paying Canadians, it's entirely about protecting the terrified child dictator who is implementing the confiscation.

Having had cars with winter tires and without, this I can say, they do make a huge difference BUT if the weather is really lousy, it’s safer to stay home and not venture out unless absolutely necessary. Far too many drivers out there that haven’t a clue of how to drive in snow, ice and slushy conditions. Case in point, a couple years ago, driving back from the cottage up near Port Carling, an early snow storm hit, driving was miserable from Wahta all the way down to the 401. A lot of drivers gave up and pulled over to the side. Others were literally sliding from one side of the road to the other. Saw at least a couple dozen accidents and another dozen in the ditches lining the 400. Had I known it would have been that bad, I would have stayed up at the cottage and tossed another log in the stove…..

Amazing. I was sure I was going to get hit by lightning, going into so many churches and Mosques

That's my dad with our St. Bernard we had back in the 60's. His name was Tiny...the dog, not my dad... and he was an absolute fantastic & lovable pooch. The colder it was outside the more he loved it. Sadly he only lived 7 years but left lots of great memories.