By Rhonda Massad
There is so much talk about giving thanks and being grateful, that the words have almost lost their meaning, but not quite.
When my children hit a certain age I felt it was important to give back to the community that has been good to me, growing up on the West Island was a great experience. Running from house to house, park to park as children tend to do out here gave a solid foundation.
As a young adult raising my children in a community that had services for young parents was a gift. Making life long friends at “mommy and me. Making more life long friends at the parks and walking the dog.
Sometimes I stop and just look around and think what a wonderful gift to just be able to stand on my street on a sunny day and take it all in.
Of course there are the harder moments in life. Losing precious people without getting the chance to say goodbye, setbacks or challenging times, but for right now I want to focus on this beautiful day and all the gifts our community has to offer.
Because I have reached out to the community in an effort to gather us together through my writing, I make a point of getting out and being involved. I have met some of the most amazing people who are happy to share their stories with me. I am invited places I would never dream of, like a vineyard in Vaudreuil, a color run in Pierrefonds or the West Island Palliative Care Residence.
I am particularly grateful to have been invited into the home of a neighbour a few streets over, John, to see his magnificent garden. He is closing in on 80 years of age and manages 3,000 square feet of garden each and every year. He offered my family some of his harvest this past week (see pics above). The gift of veggies was, of course, incredible, but the gift of joining as a community is the real reason I am grateful for the visit. John and his wife Jane share their bounty with neighbours and close family.
We don’t live alone, we all live in a community that has so much to give we simply need to get out and cherish it.
Uniting our community is the purpose of this blog. Keeping you informed has always been the way I feel we can connect to each other in a world that moves so very quickly.
Get to know those around you. Take a moment to hold open the door, leave a friendly note, smile. It is important that we are grateful, truly grateful that we have the chance to share our time on earth with those around us.
I am grateful for all the special people that take the time to answer my questions, share their stories and lives with me so I can, in turn, share them with you.
Grateful may be a word that is trending but for me it has not lost it’s meaning.
