Gratitude makes the journey better. Kindness, too.

Tag: Jessie Simpson

Weekly column: When hope, help and gratefulness count as stepping stones

Originally published as a column by Armchair Mayor News, on Wednesday, May 26, 2021.

On July 26, Jessie Simpson will turn 24. That’s also the day when his mom hopes to have him at home for a few days, so he can enjoy the place he has not been able to see but in memory, fragmented as it is, due to the horrendous attack Jessie suffered in 2016 on the night of his graduation party.

Presently he is in the hospital, fighting his way out of a kidney infection that has him in pain and nauseous. Just a few weeks ago, he had yet another seizure which his mom witnessed.

Weekly column: Birthday wishes for Jessie

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.

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