Hilda Braun
I was born in Tiege Ukraine in 1942 when Russia attacked the Ukraine for the first time. With that my parents chose to leave the Ukraine heading west. Over the next few years made our way to a refugee camp in Germany where I started school, I had four siblings by this point. The earliest memory of my childhood was standing in line in the refugee camp waiting for my bowl off grits. After much hard work my parents got the okay to immigrate to Canada, a dream come true. I was 6 years old when we arrived in southern Ontario but instead of going to school, I was kept at home to take care of George who was 4 and Peter who was 9 months. So, I had to grow up very fast.
I was a very quiet girl who loved nature, I loved sports like track and field and high jumping. I also loved to play baseball.
I met Rudy in my senior year in high school, where we were both singing in a youth choir and then we started to date. We both completed high school, then we got married at the age of 20, we both did some more schooling, and I became a Beautician after our first baby was born. I loved my career and life was good. We had 3 more children then
bought a century old farmhouse in the country which we turned into a B&B after we became empty nesters. We both loved the interaction with guests from all over the world. When Air B&B became very popular, we jumped on board. This was going to be our retirement!
Rudy and I had been going to a gym regularly for a few years, we even achieved most improved senior couples award one year. One day as we were leaving Rudy told me he couldn’t do it anymore, the pain in his back was killing him. I remember saying to him to go find out what was killing you. With in few months, he was diagnosed with a very aggressive Sarcoma cancer. We had 6 weeks from diagnoses to his death. I lost the father of my children, my husband, my lover and my best friend.
On the first anniversary of his death, I was diagnosed with breast cancer after struggling with my own health. After surgery and radiation and with so many what ifs, I packed a bag and found myself in Hawaii on an off the grid, 7-acre farm living in a shanty. Which turned out to be the best experience of my life and that’s when I learned about the healing powers of Zhineng QiGong. There I met this amazing team of teachers and healers. They showed me how to live again. On one of the days that we were at the ocean, the ocean was wild, and this sweet man came up behind me. His name is Alfie, he put his hand on my shoulder and asked me to give up what was holding me back. I did, I screamed at the ocean getting rid of all that was controlling me. Alfie walked quietly away as I let go. The peace and calm that came over me was amazing and the start of a whole new life journey.
Life is like a rose bush, it is beautiful, but it is full of thorns!