Originally published as a column in CFJC Today Kamloops and Armchair Mayor News on July 20, 2020.
When my eldest son turned 18 not long ago, there was a lot to think about other than baking a cake and choosing a gift.
Like all parents, I thought of what’s ahead with a mix of joy and worry, but mostly with excitement. The journey as a grownup is about to begin, right?
I also thought of my friend Jessie Simpson, whom I’ve met in November 2018 and been spending almost every Sunday afternoon with until the pandemic started. It’s impossible not to think of him every time I think of young people starting out in life or graduating, ready for adventures and embracing life.
Many years ago, I found this piece of driftwood – a plank just wide enough and long enough to write a short something on, and that something was one of my favourite quotes by Dalai Lama and a principle I try to live by, ‘Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.’ We have moved that piece of driftwood from one home to another and during many kids’ squabble I pointed to it as a reminder that kindness can be done, anytime, anywhere. A reminder for all, young and old, that is.