A Woman of Distinction

Last night, the Prince Albert YWCA held its Women of Distinction award banquet at which they honoured five deserving women. One of the women they honoured, Lynda Monahan, holds a special place in my heart and I am so pleased she was chosen.

            Lynda was honoured in the Arts, Culture and Heritage category for her enormous contribution in the field of writing. A wonderful and passionate poet, two books of her poetry have been published. Both books, “A Slow Dance In The Flames” and ‘What My Body Knows” were nominated for a Saskatchewan Book Award. Her second book was also nominated for a World Guild Writing Award. Her work has been published in many magazines, including Grain, Fire, Amethyst Review, Other Voices and many others. Her poetry has been broadcast on both provincial and national CBS radio programs.

            Lynda does a great deal of work in the community. She has instructed special workshops at Prince Albert Youth Outreach Program and has facilitated a series of workshops for inmates at Pine Grove Correctional Centre and for at-risk youth in the Eagle Program. Lynda has worked with adults who have acquired brain injuries and their families, resulting in the book “With A Smile and a Tear: Family’s Story of Acquired Brain Injury”. She has completed a Saskatchewan Writers Guild ArtSmart youth mentorship program for young writers. Lynda has worked with our local schools, Commonweal, Canadian Mental Health Association and Prince Albert Foster Families. Through all of this, she still finds time to teach a Creative Writing class at SIAST. Through her work, Lynda has brought joy, healing and purpose to many lives.

            Lynda is a wonderful a passionate teacher and injects her love of writing to all who take part in her classes and workshops. She inspires all those she teaches into putting their thoughts and feelings down on paper. Under her guidance, her students develop the self-confidence they need in order to write and the bravery to show others what they have written. I know this first hand as I have been one of Lynda’s students. To be a student in one of her classes is to know that you are being led by a passionate teacher who finds good in everyone and, in fact, brings out the best in all her students. Lynda guides her students along with positive advice and encouragement.

            At the Women of Distinction award ceremony, many of Lynda’s past and present students were in attendance to see her receive her award. Their presence is evidence of what makes Lynda so special. It is an indication of the effectiveness of her teaching, the far reaches of her compassion and her calm, encouraging personality, that all who begin as students in her class inevitably come to consider her a life-long friend.

            Congratulations, my friend. Well done.  Deserving people receiving recognition . . . it’s a good thing.

 

 

One Hundred Days of Give Aways

Sometimes the simplest idea turns out to be the great idea.  My friend Barb has recently proven this to be true.  It all started when she decided to “de-clutter” her house.  Rather than simply pack up the belongings she no longer wanted and haul them away, she came up with the idea of having “100 Days of Give-aways”.  Every day for one hundred days, a new item is selected and a picture of it is put up on facebook.  The first person to claim it is the recipient.

            I have watched with interest as she has put up her daily choice.  Barb has offered everything from scrapbooking kits, to a set of glass candle holders to Christmas decorations.  As I watched the items being claimed on facebook and plans being made for pick-up or delivery, I began to realize what a great idea this is.  I didn’t know the half of it!

            One day Barb’s offering was a book I had been wanting to read.  I jumped at the chance to claim it and was successful.  What followed is what made me realize just what Barb had done with her little “100 Days of Give-aways” and how she had, perhaps unwittingly, created a social event with many of her friends.

            Barb and I tried to plan a day to get together for coffee or lunch so that I could claim my book.  There was not one day in that week that worked.  Either Barb was out-of-town or one of us was busy when the other was free.  It simply did not work, which is something that often happens in our busy lives when friends try to plan time together.  One day Barb emailed me to say that she would drop the book off to me at work that afternoon.  I emailed her back to say I would not be in my office that particular afternoon and asked if I could stop by at her house just before lunch to pick up the book and perhaps we could have coffee.  She said that wouldn’t work as she was still in her pyjamas.  I sent back a message to her asking if I could just stop in at her  house and she could slip the book to me through the door.  She laughingly agreed.

            So, it was that I found myself on Barb’s doorstep, admiring her many creations on her porch and knocking on her bright yellow front door.  Barb greeted me, in her pjs’s, book in hand.  We stood on the doorstep and talked for probably twenty minutes. After a great conversation, I walked away with my new book and realized what Barb had just done.  If she had not had had her “100 Days of Give-aways”, we would still be trying to arrange a time to get together.  Because of her inventiveness, we met, had a great conversation and renewed our friendship, even if it was only for a quick visit.  I realize that Barb is doing this with all of her friends who claim prizes – one day at a time for a hundred days!  Ingenious!  Plus, she is cleaning her house.  Everyone wins.

            When I opened my book to read it, there was a little “bonus” from Barb.  She had included a little crafted card (which she created herself, crafty person that she is) with a thank you for giving her item new life and for our friendship.  How perfect is that?

            Sometimes a simple little idea like de-cluttering your house turns into a unique way to renew old acquaintances and forces everyone to take a few minutes to talk to an old friend.  By my calculations, Barb has about eighty days left on her give-away, so who knows, we may slip in another twenty minute visit on her porch soon again.  Good ideas that turn out to be great ideas . . . it’s a good thing.

Remembrance Day

Although Remembrance Day falls on the week-end this year, I hope people will still take the time to attend ceremonies and acknowledge our veterans.   Remembrance Day is growing in significance every year, perhaps because we have a new group of veterans now – young men and women who have taken part in the war in Afghanistan.  Young people, who in the past may not have worn poppies, now do so with pride, respect and thankfulness. All generations are attending Remembrance Day Services in record numbers. We all feel the need to thank veterans, including our new veterans who have returned from Afghanistan or from peace keeping missions all over the world, in a way we never have felt before. Perhaps it is because of Afghanistan, the phenomenon of the Highway of Heroes and the death of our first female soldier that we have become more passionate about honouring our veterans.  For the third year now, students at St. Mary High School have met with and interviewed soldiers, and have recorded their stories in a book.  As the students learn of the sacrifices and horrors directly from the veterans, they come to realize how important it is to always remember and acknowledge what these brave soldiers gave to us.  Because of this project, the stories of our local soldiers are recorded and will continue to be passed on even after they are gone. 

It has been two year since the last WW I veteran died - they are now all gone. We have lost many of our WW II veterans.  It now becomes even more important to honour their sacrifices, and to never forget what they did for us. It is also important to show our gratitude to our young veterans who have fought in a different war. We must continue to teach our children that the many rights they now enjoy were fought for by very brave men and women. As we look at the suffering of people in countries that do not have the freedoms and rights we enjoy, we realize how very fortunate we are. Just as our parents and grand-parents were touched by wars, buried their soldiers and welcomed home those who survived, our generation is experiencing war and we are sending our own brothers and sisters, sons and daughters to fight.

Remembrance Day is the day to remember all the wars we have faced as a nation, to thank our soldiers and to reflect on how fortunate we are. Remembering and being grateful to the men and women in our armed forces - present and past -  is important every day, but never so important as on Remembrance Day.  Taking time to show our gratitude to our veterans and soldiers . . . it's a good thing.

 

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!

Our Angel

This is a picture of my great-nephew, Ty, sitting with his Great-Grandmother, my Mom. We didn't know it at the time, but the pictures we took of Ty that night would be the last ones we would ever take of him. Yesterday, September 28, would have been Ty's 12th birthday. He has been gone for eight years. Ty was born on the anniversary of my Dad's death (Ty's great-grandfather). From the day he was born at Sick Children's Hospital in Toronto, Ty was special. When his Mom and Dad brought him home , he was fragile but determined to live. And live he did! To know Ty was to love him. Everyone who met him fell under his spell. There was something special about the little boy who fought so hard to live those first few months, and then lived so hard for the next three-and-a-half years. He became an active toddler, and fooled us all into thinking that everything was ok with him. He began pre-school and enjoyed playing with the other children, and going to school just like his big sister. Then, as suddenly as he had come into our lives, he left. I don't think any of us realized his impact until his funeral. The church was overflowing with people who came to remember him. He touched the lives and hearts of so many people. Perhaps Ty's entire reason for being here for those short three-and a half years was to remind us that there are angels and there is a heaven, and that sometimes angels come to visit us - but only stay for a short while. Although, for his family, letting him go was the most difficult thing to do, knowing that we were truly touched by an angel and we will see him again . . . it's a good thing.