thoughts

Problems will befall us; big ones, small ones, personal ones, catastrophic ones. And what is it - is it luck? Is it luck that dictates whether you're born in a time and place that might make a catastrophic problem less likely to happen? Sometimes, maybe. I think about last year's floods in Pakistan and the tsunami in Indonesia, and I wonder how such horribly large earth-moving earth-shattering events can happen in places already so challenged by overpopulation, poverty and political problems. Earthquakes in Japan are a pretty common occurrence, and by no means can one compare the recent 8.9 shake to either of the previously mentioned natural disasters, but the potential was there.... the potential to be immensely catastrophic. This too is an event that Steve and I have a connection to; we lived there, we were there! We have friends there too, and we can both put ourselves into the picture and wonder where we would have been, what we would have done.

And is it luck that wards off the more intimate catastrophes? A good friend of mine was recently diagnosed with cancer, and from one day to the next her life changed. It was the first time that I had heard about a diagnosis from one step to the next - from the MRI results to the first and second and third doctors appointments - and I saw the news breaking the barriers, sinking in. That's a difficult thing to experience from the outside, and I can only imagine what it's like for family and for her. And so I was thinking about it as I skirted puddles and slops of slush on my walk today: what's the balance, the line between living now, every day, the carpe diem, and planning for the long haul? Because there has to be a bit of both, right? I was sort of thinking about it in terms of money and time and planning, and I asked Steve for his opinion when Hendrik and I got home. Attitude was his answer; the way you look at everyday life and your day-to-day everyday activities; what and who fills your days and your time - and what you take away and keep for yourself. And yes, there has to be some balance with short and long term planning in terms of career, money, saving etc., but attitude is the big thing. And - oh man, this is starting to seem like the biggest downer blog I've ever written but I swear it's not - my great-aunt Hope Spencer had it. Last Friday, at the ripe old age of 91, she left this world for the next, and with all mental faculties still steaming away, her positive and vibrant attitude showed to the last. A good friend of hers was with her during her short stay at the hospital, and shortly before she passed away she was visited by, surprise, a doctor. After a brief conversation full of smiles and flirtatious quips, aunt Hope turned to her friend and, with a gleam in her eye and a lively smile, asked, "How did I look?" Amazing.

It's impossible to know what waits for us around the next bend of life, but there are a few things that will undoubtedly make for smoother sailing: family, friends, love, support, smiles, memories, solid ground beneath our feet. May we live in the moment and soak up the good, and dream and look forward to the future.


Hope SPENCER 1919 2011 Hope was born on July 4, 1919. She died peacefully on February 23, 2011 after a long life full of travel, adventure and fun. She loved good food, good wine, good beer, good music and a good cause. Hope inherited a pioneering creativity from her parents, Zella and Henry Spencer. She was always ahead of her time. Although Hope felt she was not always appreciated for pioneering projects, she was greatly admired and respected by a very large community of colleagues, friends and acquaintances. Hope graduated from the University of Alberta in 1941 with a B.A. in English. After graduation, Hope got a job with the University of Alberta's extension department writing brochures for the then new Banff School of Fine Arts. In the fall 1942 she joined the Royal Canadian Air Force. She was shipped to Rockcliffe Air Base in Ottawa for basic training. She quickly rose to the rank of First Barracks Corporal. While serving her duties for her country Hope worked hard to get equal treatment for the women in the forces. She was first stationed in Victoria as a radar plotter. On Valentines Day 1943, she was transferred to Prince Rupert continuing in her duties as a radar equipment operator. After an early discharge, she and a girlfriend hitchhiked to Los Angeles and back, in the forties! In 1948 Hope completed a Masters degree in sociology and economics at the University of Toronto. She also received a Masters degree in public health from the University of California at Berkley in 1960. She was proudest of having started the first provincial mental health association in Vancouver. This was when she was director of the health department in the Lower Mainland in the 1950's. Hope worked in Nepal in the 1980's training auxiliary health workers. This was a follow up to the same kind of work she had done in the North West Territories and California. While in the N.W.T. she was consultant for the health education program for both the Inuit and white population. It was during her stay in the North West Territories that Hope collected some fascinating pieces of Inuit art. Another of her pioneering projects was establishing a thirty year community plan for public health in the San Francisco area while working there in the 60's. Hope was a long time member of the Unitarian Fellowship and a proud supporter of the N.D.P. She was also a very active member of the Professional Writers Association of Canada. Hope was deeply grateful for the ongoing love and support she received from her large community of colleagues, friends, nieces, nephews, brother and extended family. We will miss her very much. A celebration of Hope's life will take place on Saturday, March 5th at 2:00 pm at the Comox United Church, 250 Beach Drive. Comox, BC In lieu of flowers please donate to the Comox Valley Transition Society 250-897-0511 or Seva Canada 604-713-6622. 217237