The Next Adventure…..Life after 70 in the Yukon….

Today is eight more sleeps before three women and a Volvo towing a small enclosed trailer takes me permanently to the Yukon to be that hands on Grandparent that many of us hope for and some of realize.

So after nearly 73 years in Ontario, I am pulling up stakes. I am “retiring” for the second time from my passion of social service work. Can’t take all that past and current learning out of the old girl. I remember my father unable to accept that he was a senior in his 80’s. Nothing about the senior life really appealed to him. No seniors clubs, no community activities with others his own age. I didn’t understand then. I am sorry Dad, as Father’s Day comes up that I didn’t choose to understand or was insightful enough to understand your needs. I knew what you liked-a good meal, time with your grandchildren, shopping and as you were raised in boarding school and not within a family, you did have friendships, you missed out in being parented. You married the right person though, a woman who was a good mother and bore her responsibility to provide those household duties, very well. You took your responsibility as the income earner seriously and as children we never lacked for food or a roof over our heads during the recession of the 50’s. We, as children, never lacked love. So I am taking those early values ingrained in me and learned through my life experiences of work, sorrow and joy, to a new adventure, while my mind is still sharp and my body hasn’t given out on me.

So I will blog through the upcoming days…how a procrastinator readies herself for leaving….

Talking to my daughter in the Yukon

Today is March 21, 2020, where there are 58 new coronavirus cases in Ontario, bringing the total to 368 active. She lives in the Yukon where there are only a few cases. She however is worried, as she left the Yukon visiting family in B.C. and travelled back through the Vancouver airport.

She is smart, compassionate, logical but you can hear the worry about what is the right thing to do. Makes sense doesn’t it, when you get conflicting messages from your own local health authorities but you hear the messages other countries who have been wrestling with this longer, are sharing what they have learned. As human beings we are vulnerable to the influences, decision making of leaders of our countries, the Senior Health Decision Makers and those who directly influence us in our day to day lives.

Only we can control our decisions, reach out for help when we need it and trust that we will overcome what is currently creating fear for many of us, the possibility of death. Our changing landscape.

Singing at funerals has made me look at death in a different way. Those with faith do believe that there is a better place once the soul leaves our body. For me the bottom line really is that I have done the best I can and those whose love I have shared through family, friendship and work. I hope they will think of me in a positive way, speak kindly of my efforts with others and that my children will share the funny, quirky side of their mother that have been meaningful influencing who they are, for the better. It is about the legacy we leave. I remind myself in my day to day living, that I see the face of God in all I meet. It is important to meet each person with kindness. When we find ourselves challenged, we take a look at ourselves rethink what kind of person am I and how can I do better. This truly is a time to do that, to learn and take on personal challenges that up until now, we have been “too busy” to pay attention to. May God keep us safe as the world deals with this pandemic.

Now the feelings and words are gone..

Today, I went to join my friend Sherry bringing music to the 11 a.m. Mass at what I call the “Motherhouse”. There might be 40 people in total in this chapel and an old chord organ.

In saying the mass and singing the psalm, a song of lament, “My soul is searching, for you O Lord my God”, I felt his presence as I sang.  While I sang I prayed. During Psalm 63, what I felt cannot be described because it is my feeling, my peace and my calm. For me it is the combination of music and words, where I can experience oneness with God.

At the time, I remember feeling a cool breeze and no words came to mind but a thought, “this is what it feels like. I wish I had this feeling all the time.” During the mass, I thought I need to write this down for fear I will lose it, the feeling, emotion, thought. I am not a “by birth” Catholic. However, as I explained to my friend Sherry, I was raised in a Christian home so it is very much a part of my childhood, so much that when my children were born, I wanted them to have this experience too.

Saddened that I was unable to provide it for them, again I thought but I can write about my experience today for them. The thought of our human body as being a “room”, a “tent” and a place where I can be at rest with God is such a remarkable feeling and emotion. It works for me and I can’t express it for anyone else or understand anyone else’s experience but today I was loved by God, felt his presence and allowed him to be one with me.

 

What’s a Wike?

What a great idea…

The Point Hamilton

The Wike: a perfect solution for cargo and people transportation.

Cargo Bike Share in Crown Point Community Hub

by Andrew Hibma

A Wike is a brand of cargo bike that comes from Guelph that you may find riding through your neighbourhood. Five new cargo bikes will be rolling through Crown Point as part of a pilot project with New Hope Community Bikes that will provide even more options for sustainable, affordable local transportation. 

New Hope Community Bikes (NHCB) has been an asset to the Crown Point Community for five years. Ongoing support from the Crown Point Community Planning Team and the Hamilton Community Foundation has helped this social enterprise thrive. NHCB accepts donated bikes that are then refurbished with the help of youth and volunteers and offers a space where people of all ages can fix their own bikes and learn new skills. 

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A New Years Message to Justin Trudeau

Mind You Reflections on mental illness, mental health and life

by Dr David Laing Dawson

I have in my head an image of three generations of a family fleeing in an oxcart from the destruction of war. Today they may be boarding a bus leaving Aleppo.

We respond emotionally to the images of children, wide-eyed, dusty, confused. But it is the older generation I think about, frail, arthritic, failing. The children may live to see the fighting stop and the country rebuilt. At the very least they can hope for this. But the grandparents know they are unlikely to live to see another round of peace and prosperity. They are unlikely to live long enough to see what becomes of their homes, their lands, and their grandchildren.

I was a university student during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Oddly I remember it as spring, but it must have been a warm October in 1962. I should have been studying for mid-terms…

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November’s Crown Point Community Planning Team Meeting

Well done, Crown Point!

Crown Point Community

Hello Crown Point Community,

We have two reminders for the community today:

• Please plan to attend this month’s Community Planning Team Meeting on Monday, November 21st at Laidlaw United Church (155 Ottawa St N) from 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm. This is our opportunity as Crown Point residents to have input in local initiatives and make positive changes in our community.
  Below, you’ll find the agenda links for November and the meeting minutes for October. On-site childcare can be available but you must call ahead to reserve space for your children: (905) 522-1148, Ext. 311. We will have some treats to enjoy and we hope to see you on Monday!
• Also, please consider attending the City of Hamilton Vision Zero Action Plan Workshop which is happening on Tuesday, November 22nd from 5 pm – 9pm at the Hamilton Convention Centre. Vision Zero is a global movement transforming the way we use, interact and travel…

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Molly’s Mystical Smile

The mystery is what the love of God and the love of those who become part of our lives, can bring to our being…the power of a genuine smile, a warm handshake…

The Wind in the Trees

Henri Nouwen writes, “For Christian leadership to be truly fruitful in the future, a movement from the moral to the mystical is required.” This is true of everyone, not just leaders. By moral he means the human attempt to do the right thing on one’s own. While such an effort may evoke our admiration, eventually it saps the joy of the one who trudges on in this solitary way.

On the other hand, by mystical Nouwen means the experience of intimacy with God such that  we make our choices together in conversation with Him. Rather than the drudgery of mere moralism, we derive an energy from being connected to something larger and wiser than ourselves. When we touch the mystical, however, we find that, low and behold, it is moral. Goodness is divine. When the light penetrates, we may revel in love.

And the moral-mystical is all around us. For example, I often saw it…

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Seeing life through different eyes…

So the day after my birthday, gives me time to reflect on past, present and future.

My daughter says…but I always send you flowers and a balloon for your birthday. However, I returned from a visit to her home, where I was taken out for my birthday and received a gift as well, so no, I wondered but did not expect. I also went to visit her and my son, because as they live a distance, I can’t always grasp what is happening through phone calls or a skype call. So who am I? I have learned that I need to feel, experience, see with my own eyes to understand what is happening in my children’s lives. It’s important to me, because I love them, to see them periodically. So moving forward-to learn to ask the right questions, not to be satisfied with answers but to probe more if I don’t understand. So I am still learning and the words back from your children hit you in the face and bring back visual memories and hurts but also joy. So I choose to learn to listen to understand. One of my favorite quotes! I just need to practice and remember.

 

3 Steps to Help Your Staff Work Smarter not Harder

Not new but certainly a need for a reminder about what we know.

Charles Benayon

There is a misconception in many workplaces that working harder and putting in longer hours will lead to success, but in fact working overtime can lead to a lack of relaxation time and tip your work-life balance in the wrong direction.

A recent study by HR Magazine found that “34% of people check their email as soon as they wake up every day, 38% of people check their email after work at home every day and yet 46% felt that it was a task and not email that detracted them away from more important work they prioritized.” Taking on too many tasks and needing to rely on working late to complete them can affect your mental wellbeing.

As employers, we want our employees to work hard and meet targets and deadlines, yet there is some degree of pressure associated with this. Pressure can be a great asset to productivity, but…

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2 Stubborn old women

I moved at the beginning of October 2015. Today is Jan. 7-so Lily and I have been here three months. It has been an interesting transition. Our new housemate is just a bit younger than I am and it was Lily that encouraged this change. What some of us won’t do for our pets.

My new housemate is a dog whisperer and she was able to stop Lily from dragging me around the courtyard, when I was taking her for a walk. So from August of 2014 to today, we have become friends. Someone who loves my dog, is going to be my friend for sure.

We know from our  wraparound work that relationships make a huge difference, in a day to day existence. More on that relationship stuff later.