Orange Memories Musings: Christmas is for children
By Beth Robertson
They tell us Christmas is for children, and so it is—for children from 1–100+. It is not the age that matters; it is what is in your heart. And so we approached Christmas with childlike wonder. Along with the wonder, we now hopefully hold the wisdom of the years and an awareness of life that is yet unknown to little ones.
PHOTO COURTESY ORANGE MEMORIES FACEBOOK
PHOTO COURTESY ORANGE MEMORIES FACEBOOK
Early in December, the little piano students (and one big one) of Phoebe Wong came to play for us. So sweet. Stan played "Could I Have This Dance" and "O Holy Night," requests from a previous visit here.
Sheila gathered a group of residents to help decorate her Christmas cookies. Apparently it was a fun activity. Laughter could be heard in the dining room and down the halls.
School children from Darcy were bussed in on Monday, December 15. They treated us to Christmas songs, and they were each treated to one of Sheila's cookies. Jean Hannay was happy to see the children from her home community and to see her daughter Laurie, the bus driver.
That afternoon, the Walter Aseltine Kindness Crew came after school to visit. They sang Christmas songs and expressed what they wanted for Christmas. One of the singers expressed what is in the hearts of many: the gift she wanted was peace throughout the world.
The wee ones from Kid Kare visited on December 18. It is amazing what their leaders have taught them at such a tender age. They, too, received the cookie treat.
The worship service on Tuesday, December 16, was ecumenical, with leaders from the Alliance, Roman Catholic, Mennonite, United, and Anglican/Lutheran churches taking part. They brought the message in a well-delivered Readers' Theatre. Would that the whole world would worship together as we did that afternoon.
The Senior Choral Group cancelled because of sickness and the storm on their scheduled day. We hope to see them in January.
Laughter and chatter filled our dining room and both sitting rooms on December 19 for the annual Christmas family dinner. We were served a delicious roast beef and ham meal with all the trimmings, including Yorkshire pudding. All three areas were filled with dining tables bedecked with Christmas table centres. After the meal, draws were made to determine the winners of the family-donated items. Winners of the door decorating competition were announced: Colin Ahrens, Verna Lawson, Evelyn Smith, and Beth Robertson. Thank you to judges Shirley Mann and Linda Dagg. Expected entertainers, the McConnells, were unable to come because of sickness, so we closed the evening with a Christmas singalong. A big thank you to Morgan Dinsmore, our manager, and all of the staff who put many hours into preparing and hosting this great family event. Thanks, too, to all our family members who came to join us on this joyful occasion.
Our resident Christmas party was on December 23. Each resident received a gift from a staff member. What a delightful idea! A sincere thank you to all the staff from each of us. We closed the party with a carol singalong.
A number of residents spent Christmas Day with family members in their homes. Others celebrated the day here. Obviously, family members also came here to dine with us. Tables were full for the delicious turkey dinner prepared by our kitchen staff.
It will be a relatively quiet time from now until the New Year. We look at and hear what is happening around the world: the greed, the homelessness, the wars, the hunger, the global warming. We wonder where it will all go. My mind takes me to the Desiderata that begins, "Go placidly..." If you do not know the writing, I invite you to Google it and read it. It is full of wisdom. One of the closing lines is, "Perhaps the world is unfolding as it should." Our best to all of you from all of us at Orange Memories. We wish you a healthy, fulfilling, and meaningful New Year.