June is like December, a full month. We rapidly transition from spring (Alberta really doesn’t get spring) into summer. For farmers, there’s the challenge of getting crops seeded and in the ground. For many businesses, late spring and summer is a critical revenue generating time. Parents have year-end concerts, programs, graduation festivities, and last-minute summer vacation planning while still working their regular job. The “to do” list is extensive and at times, overwhelming, as we try to get everything crammed into small windows of time.
Our family is currently preparing for my middle daughter’s graduation. With family descending back to our home, there’s a bit of a mad rush to get a few projects completed before they come. Sometimes in the rush of getting ready it’s easy to lose sight of why we go to such lengths and stress of preparation.
As I see it, we make ready ourselves and our environment to facilitate meaningful connection in our community. It’s also the importance of the event. As with my daughter’s graduation, this is an important milestone and transitionary moment in her life. Ensuring we honour this milestone is important. We’re posturing her for the next step in life as she moves into a fuller expression of adulthood and identity and how she meaningfully fits into society. It’s a big deal. She’s also accepting and stepping into the moral and societal duties that she will contribute back into her community.
I felt a serious life rebuke this past month with the passing of a friend and valuable member of our community, Maggie Pringle. Last Christmas we were at a party that her and her husband were hosting. She loved Christmas and had the desire to sing some Christmas carols. As a pianist by trade, I could have taken the lead to facilitate the singing of a couple carols but got distracted by the snowstorm that was taking place. I felt the need to be responsible for our snow removal operations and left prematurely. I now regret that decision.
This month’s front cover is a tribute to Maggie and her work that many people have been able to appreciate. It’s a winter cover in June which may not be what we like to see this time of year. But I thought it was fitting to honour what she loved about her community and a time of year that was special to her.
We don’t know the number of our days, or the days of the people that make up our family and community. When we’re caught up in the wrong “why”, we can miss valuable opportunities that connect us in meaningful ways. As they taught me in elementary school for crossing the street, “Stop Look and Listen”, we need to learn to look deeply into people’s lives and listen to their story. It will be life giving to you, and you’ll learn something that can be life giving to another individual.
Maybe that’s the most important school lesson to learn as we step into the next phase of life.
From my family to yours,
Lowell Harder
