A Gift to Cherish

 

One of my favorite pictures is that of my niece Jeridee around the age of three, sitting on a child-size easy chair.  She is wearing a red and white checkered shirt and denim overalls.  Her long brown hair is in two braids tied with red ribbons.  She has a huge smile on her face.  Every time I come across that picture, my heart melts all over again and I can't help smiling
back at the little girl in the picture.  Needless to say, she had me wrapped around her little finger from the day she was born and I held her in the hospital.  Jeridee and I share that special bond that aunts and nieces have.  Where have the years gone? 

This week, I was emailed a picture that has melted my heart once again – that of Jeridee’s little girl, who was born two weeks ago.  This little girl is dressed in pink, laying on a pink ruffled quilt with a pink head band on her little bald head.  I can’t believe that little girl with the braids in the picture is now a mother herself.  Time certainly does march on and life continues to move forward (sometimes too quickly).  

So it is that our family received the precious gift of another baby girl. Jeridee and her husband became the proud parents of Maelle Calixte.  This is their first child and it was not an easy journey into parenthood for them.  The end result, however, was worth the months of disappointment, frustration and sadness.  This little girl is perfect.

When Jeridee and her husband picked out the middle for their new daughter, they chose it because they liked it and it went so well with her first name, and because  both names are very French which appealed to the couple.  In one of life’s funny little quirks,  Jeridee was not aware that Calixte was the first name of her great-grandfather!  She was surprised when her mother told her this.  So, although it was not intended, little Maelle carries the name of her great-great grand-father and that shared name is now a connection between generations, a reminder of where we come from and who our ancestors are.  When she is old enough and sees pictures and hears stories of this ancestor who has the same name as her, she will feel the bond of family – even though that family member came and went many years before she was born.  We, the rest of her family, now have a reason to hang on to our memories of him, the pictures we have and the stories we know because suddenly it is important for her to know and we feel the responsibility of sharing this with her.  I never realized before this how a name can connect generations and encourage families to keep the memories alive of those no longer with us.  My sister ( Jeridee’s mother) and I have many memories of our grandfather which we will share with Maelle. 

As we welcome Maelle, this treasured gift, into our family and look forward to her future, we also look back into the past and acknowledge those who walked the path before us.  A new child in our family, a new reason to reflect on our ancestors . . .  it’s a good thing.

Vote Today!

Today is civic election day.  Make sure you cast your vote!  Our right to take part in a democratic election should not be taken lightly.  This is your opportunity to have a say in the way our city is run and managed.   If you are satisfied with the decisions of this Mayor and council, then get out and vote to keep them in power.  If you are not happy with the way things are being dealt with at the civic level, go to the polls and help elect new people into these positions.  As well, the Catholic School board and Saskatchewan Rivers School board elections take place at the same time.  Again, make your views known by casting a ballot.

            If you decide not to take the time to vote today, listen to the news and see what has happened around the world over the past couple years.  In the Middle East, South America and Africa, people have protested, demonstrated and have even been killed in their quest to gain the freedoms we take for granted.  They have put their lives on the line for the right to vote and the right to live in a democracy.  We have an influx of immigrants who have arrived in Prince Albert over the past few years.  If you have a chance to speak to new Canadians, ask them how they feel about their newly-found right to vote.  They will all tell you, some with tears in their eyes, how fortunate we are to live in a democracy where we choose our leaders and what a wonderful gift we have in the ability to vote for a federal, provincial and civic government every four years.  Most will also tell you they cannot believe how we take this freedom for granted. Rest assured they will be voting - they know far too well what it means to not have the opportunity to vote

            So, take a few minutes and exercise your right – and freedom – to mark your ballot.   Show your pride in living in a democracy by taking part in deciding who our leaders will be.        

During the last federal election, there was a movement called “Rock The Vote”.  It encouraged people, especially young people, to go out and vote.  Today, let’s Rock The Vote in Prince Albert and surrounding area.  Let’s increase the voter turn-out, which has been so low in recent civic elections.  This is your chance to make a decision that will affect our city and how it is run.  Having a say in who runs your city . . . it's a good thing!

Lily

Each year, we reflect on the things we are most thankful for as we celebrate Thanksgiving Day.  This year was no different – we all have so many things to be thankful for.  We live in a country where we enjoy the ability to work, worship and enjoy life.  The majority of us have access to good housing, clean water and plenty of delicious food.   However, our family had a reason to be even more grateful for our good fortune this year.

            My niece gave birth to a little girl three weeks ago.  Because her doctors had found that she had a major heart defect prior to her birth, Lily was born in Winnipeg where she could be close to specialists.  At only four days old, she was flown from Winnipeg to Edmonton’s Stollery Children’s Hospital where she underwent open heart surgery.  It was a difficult and lonely vigil for her Mom and Dad who were with her throughout her hospital stay.  It is gruelling to watch your child lay in a hospital crib and is even more difficult if you are far from home and without family close by to lend support.  Never far from our thoughts throughout that week, our family hoped for a quick recovery and prayed that her parents would be given the strength they needed to see this through.

            Lily proved to be a fighter.  Her doctors ordered sedatives for her so that she would remain sleeping during the crucial days immediately after her surgery, however Lily did not want to sleep.  She fought the effects of the drugs and was awake a great deal of the time.  She is a fighter and her true spirit showed through.  With youth and determination on her side, she began the process of healing.  Each day she became stronger. 

            Last week, she and her parents were flown back to Winnipeg where Lily will continue to recover in the hospital there until she is ready to go home.  So it was that our family enjoyed a special Thanksgiving Day knowing that our little girl is mending and will soon be home with her parents and big brother.  Sometimes the things you are the most grateful for are not the material things we work so hard for, or the items we buy for entertainment or relaxation.  Sometimes the life of a little girl placed in the hands of a medical community is the greatest gift of all and the one we are the most grateful for. 

            I hope your Thanksgiving week-end was perfect and that those you love were close by and safe.  Knowing that your loved ones are safe and well taken care of . . . it's a good thing!