Uncommon Beauty in Writing

Returning to work in 2017 after a two week holiday brought many dramatic stories which were shared amongst friends and colleagues. Some of these stories occurred while families were holidaying in Mexico and Cuba. Indeed, laughter brought us together during the frigid January weather.

Manitobans experienced some of the coldest windchill days during the week of January 9-13th and having some hilarious travel stories dramatized to us took our minds away from the icy outdoor temperatures.

However, on January 11th at 4:40pm I left the school parking lot and I discovered a folded note on the windshield of my my new VW Golf. The note from the irate person was typed and stated,  “You have been taking up too much space on my side not once, not twice but for three years and as a rule of thumb park your car in the middle of your assigned number.” Really, on the coldest meanest day of the year and this individual took the time to type out his note. I laughed and said to myself, “let it go!”

On the flip side of this story while driving to work on Friday with a wind chill of -39 I heard Chrissy Troy announce that Ace Burpee and LTI travelled from Pembina Highway out to North Main at 7:00am to offer their generosity to a woman who needed her car boosted. Her daughter needed to arrive to school on time. This was a remarkable idea and I know they made many more motorists happy on Friday the 13th.

Our world needs more people to take courage to  speak up when something is not quite right and  discover ways to value and consider each other’s ideas and actions.

 

January 6, 2017 brought spectacular memories for me and each of us shared stories during a breakfast at Stella’s on Pembina. Four of my retired colleagues are currently living their lives that are filled with meaningful opportunities that gives them a purpose in life. It was  amazing to sit and engage in listening to their stories. These stories included teaching in Brazil, Korea, travelling to NYC to visit grandchildren, working out with husband at REFIT Centre here in Winnipeg, writing and presenting workshops to colleagues about managing aging parents, running marathons at age 65+, travelling to see family members in Europe, teaching courses at St. Boniface College, reading close to three dozen books a year, and getting to know Winnipeg’s community through social activist groups. A common thread we all had was sharing stories about our families.

I worked with these inspirational and motivating women in many capacities for over fifteen years and I feel blessed to know them. Many rich rewarding experiences were had at my former school, both professional and personal, and will always be remembered fondly.

Charge 2017 with what you want to accomplish: stay healthy and live life fully. One year ago I was interviewed by Shamona Harnett and photographed by Ruth Bonneville of the Winnipeg Free Press about the lack of sustainability with New Year’s Resolutions. I continued to focus on improvements throughout the year and this attitude worked best for me.

Recently, the owners at WPG Cycle simply said it best, “It’s how you go about making a resolution or rather a life changing goal for yourself, that will be the deciding factor if you keep a resolution.” It’s imperative that you make a commitment and create a reasonable plan as to how that might look.

“January 1st signifies a new beginning. However, each day allows for a new beginning, and hence, it is a reset.” -Dr. Roberta Anding, Baylor College of Medicine

Anding’s idea is brilliant because it’s essential to approach our health goals or whatever we want to focus on as a “reset.”

2016 has been a successful year in my teaching profession and personal life. Valuable lessons learned over the year would include the necessity of cultivating and maintaining a balanced lifestyle and also learning what ‘mindfulness’ meant for me.

January 1st, 2016, I challenged myself to blog weekly about passionate topics that were compelling, engaging and memorable. Some ideas came from daily interactions with family, friends, colleagues, world news, travel and books read throughout the year. Writing a blog has allowed me to become reflective, a better reader and writer.

Geoffrey Rush, an Oscar winning actor recently said, “In his career two things have been important…credibility and visibility.” One day it is my aspiration that I will become known through some of my writings.

It is vital to engage in daily physical exercise and it’s just as important to stimulate our mind through reading and writing. I have pursued my passion with expressing myself through topics that resonated with my interests and hopefully my blog will inspire others to enrich their lives in the upcoming year 2017.

Islanders enjoy having a great time and making unforgettable memories throughout the year. However, today let me reminisce about the Murray Christmas traditions. One that stands out to me is the walk in our woods through the deep snow and bringing home the Christmas tree in a box sleigh. We would decorate it with multi-colored lights, load it with our sparkling ornaments and finally drape silver tinsel on every branch. Christmas cards in many sizes were hung in our large kitchen where we read them many times during the holidays and finally were replaced with our favourite Christmas calendars on January 1st.

On the eve of the 24th we would read ‘Twas the night before Christmas. Our dad’s work socks were hung by the tree in hopes that Santa would fill them with Clementine sweet oranges, a bunch of plump grapes, homemade fudge and rock hard candy as he would drop by every house ringing his sleigh bells.  Waking up early and opening our one or two gifts from Santa always brought a lot of excitement. The gifts we loved the most provided us with hours of contentment. Some of these gifts included old fashioned board games, Spirograph, Etch A Sketch, toboggan and white skates. Gifts from our parents included a new pair of PJs and warm clothes to get us through the island’s wintry weather.

The Christmas turkey dinner with the family was always a delight especially our grandmother’s homemade plum pudding drizzled with butterscotch sauce. Christmas carols could often be heard playing in the background. To this day, I still treasure the old fashioned ways of celebrating Christmas with families and friends as well as experiencing the excitement of wonder with our nieces Amelia and Norah.

Our friend Gemma is a remarkable down to earth friend who invited us long time girlfriends to an exquisite potluck lunch at her home on one of the coldest Saturdays in December. It was a perfect sunny afternoon with all of us relaxed in our Saturday attire. We toasted to friendship in holiday style…a glass of bubbly with each glass marked with a beach boy named Chad, Brad, Cody, Mitch and Mike. These little characters created hearty laughs of our lives when we were in our 20s. A few of us shared milestones in our lives, what’s happening at work, family updates, future travel plans and reminiscing about the past.

The Christmas tree nestled in the living room had a slight lean to it but the decorations said it all for me…memorable ornaments hung on every branch. The table was set with Gemma’s favourite colour…shades of blue. Hearty butternut squash soup paired with thick slices of a baguette and different flavours of freshly baked scones made a delightful accompaniment to the soup. Nothing says fall or winter like the aroma of fresh apple crisp baking in the oven with steel oats topping served piping hot with dollops of vanilla yogurt. This dessert sent some of us requesting for an extra serving.

It was a beautiful afternoon filled with friendship, warmth, and good cheer.

A few traditions in life will always remain the same and with that it’s the writing of Christmas cards to loved ones and their families. My mother asked me a week ago to continue on with the writing of her cards. The fascination of opening cards and letters the week before the holidays puts a smile on my mom’s face and to this day she still finds joy in exhibiting the unique cards filled with personal messages of hope, peace and love for a new year.

#christmastraditions

Mad About Style Boutique is a favourite Instagram Account to follow. I can choose to appreciate the latest styles offered and make a decision if I want to own something unique or not. The graphic sweater with Coffee on my mind relished with me. For those cozy days curled up reading digitally and sipping coffee, I will proudly wear my black graphic sweater. The quote that the boutique believes in…”Respect yourself enough to walk away from anything that no longer serves you, grows you, or makes you happy.” -Robert Tew  resonates with me in a manner that I am a valued customer regardless if I make a purchase or not.

This past week I spent time talking to my students about creating change. They listened and analyzed the Black Eyed Peas song “Where is the love?” This is a rhetorical question. It was released in 2003 and it brought to life the results of the horrific 9/11 in USA. We can’t afford to be easily influenced by the media negativity. It is imperative that we encourage our youth to love one another and embrace change.

Winnipeg  recently hosted our sixth WE DAY. World renowned speakers and leaders delivered messages of encouragement and as a result, convinced our youth to be involved in educational initiatives that promote change. Today’s students demonstrated leadership and teamwork through their actions and donated money to a local cause including Fort McMurray wildfire relief and welcoming Syrian refugees to Canada as well as promoted awareness of bullying and poverty.

Let’s not forget the purpose here: to educate our youth about some of the world’s ongoing issues and how they can be a part of the solution. Educators must continue to ask questions about what’s happening in our world and have conversations with our students who are the leaders of today that can create change.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s wife Sophia recently concluded with a powerful image that resonated with me. “All people go through hardships and consequently, we can share our stories as to how we overcome our obstacles and it is crucial that we inspire others to empower to do good in our communities.”

Build strong communities where we strive to be positive supports for each other and overcome internal struggles that face us daily is  possible as we work together with our leaders of today.

I shed a tear when the November 10th news read that the Montreal legendary singer-songwriter whose songs and poems inspired many people has died at the age of 82. Leonard Cohen made it known that he was ready to die and he hoped that it wouldn’t be uncomfortable. He would often sit at coffee shops, wearing his black suit, a fedora and clutching a notebook. Cohen was known to strike up conversations with people at his well known Bagel Cafe in Montreal. His song Hallelujah is an all time favourite of mine.

We saw Cohen perform in concert a couple of years ago here in Winnipeg. I will  remember his distinct look, hearing his raspy deep baritone voice  and skipping lightly across the stage softly singing his last stage song…closing time…open all the doors and let you out into the world. I wonder why he called his latest album “You want it darker.” What a beautiful honour to have recorded it with his son Adam.

I thought it was unique that he passed away with his two children by his side on Sunday, November 6th in California and was laid to rest in Montreal, Nov. 10th. Remembering Cohen on Remembrance Day will also resonate with all of us who loved his music.

In 2016 many renowned musicians including David Bowie and Prince and now Cohen have have passed away. Continue to remember and honour them in our own special moments of silence.