a lost ring.

It happened in a split second. A new friend was visiting the Dale for the first time and generously wanted to help with the dishes after lunch. He grabbed his hand and his eyes widened. “My ring! I’ve lost my ring.”

Suddenly about 5 people were on the floor. Eyes were pacing back and forth looking for a silver ring that could literally have rolled anywhere. “Raven” and I saw it at the same time, and he crawled frantically under the table and handed the ring back to our new friend.

Raven looked at me and said, with his hand on his heart in relief, “It’s his first time here, he wanted to help, and he lost something. But we found it. I am happy now. ”

Helpful, caring, respectful, kind, open hearted. These are just some of the words that describe my friends at the Dale and I am lucky to learn from such beautiful people.

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It would mean so much to me if you were able to partner financially with The Dale to support my role within this ministry. There are a number of ways to do this, including CanadaHelps, PAR, or cheque. Please reach out to me if you would like more information on partnering with me in this way. Thanks for your support!

the art of giving.

we sat outside at our one picnic table even though it was so cold and cloudy that every time the sun peeked out we cheered loudly. as usual, there was lemonade and chips and grapes and a group of mismatched friends shooting the breeze. and then suddenly, “TJ” had a surprise.

almost as naturally as if he were breathing, TJ pulled some costume jewelry out of his pocket and started handing them out to the women present at the table. he had found some jewelry in his travels and wanted to give it to us. even though it was found, it was as if he had hand picked the pieces specially for us all.

there were colourful peacock feather earrings for joanna, long feather earrings for “Betty”, a cool triangle necklace for olivia, and simple yet sweet dangly earrings for me. we took our gifts as he handed them to us, put them on right away (even if we were unsure about how they would look) and excitedly complimented each other because actually, we looked amazing. TJ was pleased, and we left feeling lighter and prettier then when we arrived.

TJ is great at giving many things, and not just little trinkets. he is great at giving the gift of music to us all every week. he is great at giving people cards for special occasions. he is great at giving words of encouragement, a helping hand sorting cutlery, or a listening ear. at the dale, we believe that we all have something to give, no matter in what form or shape, and that it is also important for us to receive gifts from our community. this is what building relationships is all about – giving and receiving beautiful gifts such as love, care, support, and joy. our friends are great at giving, and i feel blessed to receive their gifts. i am thankful for TJ and his special way of making us all feel just a little more beautiful.

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It would mean so much to me if you were able to partner financially with The Dale to support my role within this ministry. There are a number of ways to do this, including CanadaHelps, PAR, or cheque. Please reach out to me if you would like more information on partnering with me in this way. Thanks for your support!