Remembering Noah

I met the Buchs many years ago after a presentation I did in Calgary. I was instantly drawn to the whole family.
Talks led to them buying a dog off me that year.
A number of visits to the kennel followed and the one NW dog they owned became many.
The entire family has become very special to me over the years - especially their son Noah.

Noah was witty, charming, life loving and very adventurous. We bonded over dogs, cooking and a love for adventures.

A few years back I went down to Edmonton to visit with Noah and his parents as he was recovering from heart surgery.
Noah was born with heart issues and battled them his whole life. By the time I first met him he was pretty much a normal 10 year old, but when his parents discussed his options with him a few years later he OPTED to have another painful and, of course, risky surgery to allow him to become the best version of himself possible. That was Noah!
Sitting next to him, quietly cringing as I listened to him, without bitterness nor resentment, explain what the doctors had done I knew I was in the presence of true braveness.


When his Mom messaged me last Monday to tell me of his passing in a tragic dirt bike accident my heart broke.

I spent Monday and Tuesday of this week in Cranbrook attending his funeral and visiting with his family.

It was extremely obvious that I was not the only one that recognized Noah for the special young man he was. His funeral was packed and so many have rallied around Adam, Cassie, Freya and Lola.
Especially touching his the way his young friends have circled around his family and his memory.
On Tuesday his parents, younger sister and I walked down to one of his favourite spots along the creek near his home where his friends erected a cross bearing his name and a bench in his honour. Such a special place.

Noah always made me feel like he felt privileged to be able to call me a friend, but the truth of the matter was, it was I that was privileged to be able to call him my friend.

I will miss you Noah.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone