everythingIneedtoknowIlearnedina chickencoop;)

     I have learnt a few things from the chickens in our coop over the years; a chicken run and its citizens are a messy, muddy microcosm. Here is what I have discovered, in no particular order: Who's the boss? Well, size is not what counts, it's attitude. Our largest and oldest rooster is currently winding down his days in the chicken hospital/nursery/hospice. Always a gentle soul, he could quash any hen argument with a glance. That being said: Love your neighbour. Living close to anybody is hard. Regardless of whether they look like you or don't, your neighbours need to be tolerated, respected even appreciated. Our differences are what keep us interesting. Which leads us to: Stay busy. Whether you are pecking scratch, chopping firewood, laying eggs or writing your thesis, it's important to keep at it. Moving keeps you up; being idle makes you low. Get to it! Also though: Rest when you can. It's important to get down time, relaxation and sleep. Standing in the sunlight can be quite rejuvenating, sitting in a dusty hole is good for what ails you, especially between meal times. And so: There is enough for everyone. Sharing can be difficult, especially where food is concerned. Still it's better to take a little and go back for more than taking too much. There's always more feed/food, so chill. Which brings us to: Mama/Papa knows best. She has been where you are right now and even if she hasn't, she knows someone who has. If not, he'll tell you so listen, you might learn something. And lastly, do your best. Again, it's not the size of the egg that counts, it's the quality. As my husband would say, you only get out of something what you put into it....

Pastor 2

 

     Sometimes it is difficult to put into words the effect one person has on another's life. If their influence is positive yet subtle, the way a breeze can cool a stiflingly hot day or an unexpected compliment can save an otherwise awkward exchange, the effect is sometimes overlooked. If you are young and struggling socially, a great Youth Group at a warm and caring church can be an amazing blessing. Add an awesome Youth Pastor and you have a recipe for success.

     Our eldest has been blessed to have such a person in her life. Encouraged to be a regular member of the Youth Program and further encouraged to be a volunteer in the church's Sunday School helping with the younger kids, our daughter gained confidence, insight and valuable perspective. The boost to her self-esteem and sense of self cannot be overstated. The fact that he and his young family are moving and that he is returning to seminary is a great loss to her and all the youth and children of the church. Speaking personally, the adults will miss him too.

     Patience, positivity, honesty and a wonderful sense of humour are just part of the reason that he will be missed. It may be difficult for a while for our daughter to move forward without this caring and cool person at her church. But that is life; loss and change rule. All we can do is pray for him, his wife and young children and hope their path leads them our way again. Thank you Pastor Orin!

Satisfaction

     A famous guy even older than me is still singing the old rock' n 'roll song of the same name and there is something to be said for it....satisfaction, I mean. For me it happens in the late afternoon when the sun is shining but thinking about setting, my girls are home and safe, dinner is figured out because it's a huge pot of soup that I made yesterday, the eggs are gathered, the house is warm and soon it will be time to sit together and relax. I am sure those old guys were writing about something else but there you go.
     There is a lot to be said for wanting what you have rather than having what you want, a sentiment that our society does not give a great deal of airtime to; shopping makes the world go 'round apparently, especially at this time of year. The traffic is beyond frustrating, there are line-ups everywhere for everything and a sense of panic that seems to dominate the world out there. There is therefore a lot to be said for staying home, staying close and spending time instead of money. I don't mind how many times I lose when I play "Sorry" with my daughters, I am just happy to play. (Actually I have never won--- how does that make sense!?)
     Our eldest is enjoying her life skills program and is now over ten months seizure free and we are still not able to explain this change. Explanation is impossible however and so unnecessary; life is good. Our youngest dislikes high school but works hard to get straight A's. Life is good. I am aware of how quickly this all could change. I am also satisfied that we are doing all we can to keep them both healthy: good food, regular exercise, lots of sleep, prayer and fun and of course for the oldest, her anti-epileptic meds. If we make it to February, there will be a party. In the meantime it's all good.

Blessed

     Thanksgiving has come and gone but I am finding that the list of things that I am thankful for keeps going. Maybe that is why I am more cheerful at a time of year that usually has me feeling a little blue. As our older daughter continues to be seizure free, nine months now and counting, perhaps those are the silver threads that weave through our days: the hope that health and safety for our girls continues and our ongoing desire for that to be true for all.
     We are lucky enough to live in an exceptional community. We have the beauty of the ocean ten minutes away while being fortunate enough to live in a rural setting with an old growth forest in our own backyard. Our weather is the best Canadian weather possible: not too hot, not too cold and all four seasons. Our city has it all: culture, like the incredible theatre produced by Peninsula Productions, business, services, infrastructure. Our daughter with special needs has the amazing Semiahmoo House Society nearby which provides a wide range of recreation, leisure and community living and work programs for anyone with extraordinary needs. We have everything we need in local churches like White Rock Community Church which warmly welcomes folks every week plus schools, shops, libraries, parks, pools and entertainment. We have it all! We are blessed, lucky, fortunate--- pick one.
     Life can change in the blink of an eye, the flash of a camera, the change of a traffic light; I know this all too well. Today we are blessed.

Judy

     Our daughter lost a Special Olympics teammate to cardiac arrest on Thanksgiving weekend. She was a lovely young woman with caring family, 35 years old, non-verbal and an athlete who worked hard in many disciplines of Special Olympics: basketball, swimming and bowling to name a few. Our daughter had only known her for a short time but was impressed with her teammate's cheerfulness, hard work and respect for others. That she died in circumstances that could have been prevented makes her story that much sadder.
     Tonight the Special Olympics coaches made sure that as many parents and caregivers as possible were available in order to offer support to the athletes. Sympathy cards were passed around for signing and support now and in the future was offered. A two minute silence was observed and then the practice went forward. The athletes played their best: exuberantly, energetically, diligently, because that's what their teammate would have wanted. They felt her loss with varying degrees of understanding but the feeling of playing for her was there and palpable in the gym.

     Special Olympics is remarkable because it meets the athlete where they are and engages them with meaningful training, competition and lasting friendship. As the website states: "Special Olympics is humanity’s greatest classroom, where lessons of ability, acceptance and inclusion are illuminated on fields of play by our greatest teachers – the athletes." This has been an enormous source of social support to our daughter and a great boost to her physical well-being and confidence. The death of her teammate is tragic, sorrowful and felt by the many who knew her--- we did not know her well but we will not forget her.

Neighbour

 

     We just doubled our flock size with about forty more brown hens. They are good layers but sort of uniform and boring in their appearance. We already have an assortment of different looking chickens; a few Australorps, Araucanas and Americaunas that we've hatched out ourselves. The new brown hens had not seen anyone of a different colour before and have been pecking at these "outsiders" since they arrived just over a week ago. Without our old rooster Kermit to keep the peace I marveled that even in the world of poultry, it is difficult to love our neighbour.
     We've been talking at church about loving our neighbours. "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself". It is part of the Shema or the second of the greatest commandments, quoted in several places in the Bible and one of the central tenets of both Judaism and Christianity. And with all this talk of refugees and immigration in the news, a very timely subject. I do not pretend to know all there is to know about this heated and divisive issue. As immigrants ourselves my family of origin experienced a life that could not be had if our parents had stayed in England; loss of immediate contact with our extended family, everyone and everything that was familiar was the price that we had to pay. Some immigrants and refugees do not have as many options nowadays and the price tag is much higher.
     Unfortunately life is not as simple as it is in the chicken coop where a little more hen scratch or a kindly old rooster can usually settle the score. Our pastor reminds us to lean into God and listen; find out who our neighbours are and pray for them. We hear and read that Jesus declared that loving God and loving our neighbour was all that mattered and so the answer there seems fairly simple also. As a member of the human flock, I choose to believe in love.

BUILD

   

     Our older daughter's life skills program started last week and she is truly enjoying it. She finds the respectful and positive atmosphere refreshing after her high school experience and enjoys being treated like a young adult. The acronym BUILD stands for "Building Upon Individual Learning and Development". The streams of learning include: Life Skills, Employment, Transportation and Health and Wellness. With half a dozen young people in the program and a teaching ratio of 3:1, our daughter already feels comfortable with everyone and is happy to be involved. The staff are young, caring and patient women. There are trips to the library and local businesses, opportunities to practise a variety of skill sets like taking the bus or shopping out in the community and an upbeat and cheerful group of peers around her, so our daughter feels fortunate to be part of it all.
     She is now nearing eight months of freedom from seizures and anything seems possible. We are not sure whether she outgrew the seizures, the meds are now working, there is less stress in her life or our prayers have been answered. Any way you look at it we are blessed! I remember looking at other people's Facebook pages and being envious of their child's "One Year Seizure Free" status. Maybe it could happen to us!