Norma Cox, 88
Meet Norma Cox, 88 years young.
For Norma, life in Bramber, Nova Scotia has always been filled with simple joys, a close-knit community, and the enduring beauty of the New Minas Basin. Growing up as a country girl, she lived just across the street from her childhood home and settled into the house she shared with her husband, Don, at the age of sixteen. Bramber has been her world, where she’s always felt cozy, comfortable, and deeply connected to the land and its people.
As she looks back now, Norma reflects on how much she has weathered. November, especially, has been a month of loss, taking both of her parents, her beloved Don, her oldest daughter, and her sister, who was in a coma for many years after a tragic accident. In more recent years, Norma has also faced her own health challenges, including a heart condition and a decline in mobility that has made it more difficult to get around. Despite these hardships, Norma has always found strength in her memories, her connection to the land, and her enduring faith in life. She spends her days quietly now, in the home that has been her haven, surrounded by memories of her past and the shore she knows so well.
When Norma shared her wish with us, it was clear how much the New Minas Basin meant to her. It’s where she played as a child, spent days clamming and fishing with her family, and made some of her most treasured memories. She told stories of walking miles to school, of rare trips into Windsor and Cheverie, and of falling in love with Don after a local fair and a movie night that still makes her smile.
Her wish to see the New Minas Basin from the sky was more than a scenic flight, it was a homecoming from above. A new perspective on a lifetime of memories. And according to Norma, it was one of the most meaningful moments of her life.
Since that day, Norma says she hasn’t come down from the clouds. “I’ve been busy talking to everyone in the community about my experience,” she said. “I haven’t gotten down out of the clouds yet.” Her daughter Dawn proudly shared photos online, and the local senior’s group has even invited her to speak about what the experience meant to her.
Norma’s wish reminded all of us that even the quietest lives are filled with stories worth celebrating. Her journey through the sky wasn’t just a moment of joy, it was a tribute to a life lived with love, resilience, and deep connection to her community and the land she calls home.
Her feet may be back on the ground, but her heart is still flying.
Special Thanks: Vision Air Services Inc.
Photography: Kelsi Captures Photography
