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By Kathy Reimer
I HAVE had the very good fortune to meet some amazing
people in my work at Elim Village, a retirement community that includes an
assisted living section.
Residents have long and sometimes colourful histories;
some stand out as real personalities. One such resident is Glenys
(pictured), a woman who has touched my heart in many ways from the day she
moved in.
Glenys is in her nineties. She has more ‘going on
upstairs’ than I may ever have had. A sharp wit and a ready comment,
usually with a little bite to it, are there for any situation. When someone
has almost 100 years of life experience, one wonders, ‘what were
their lives like?’
We seldom really know, but with Glenys it is different.
I have been afforded an intimate look via a project she was given as a gift
two years ago.
‘My Life in a Jar’ consisted of a series of
questions written one by one on slips of paper and put in a jar. Whenever
Glenys wished to work on her project, she would take questions randomly
from the jar and write the answers to them. Ultimately, the answers were
compiled, with pictures, into a booklet for her family.
The booklet dedication reads: “In 2003, I was
given a unique Christmas gift from my son and daughter-in-law. It was a jar
filled with questions. As my Christmas gift to you for 2008, I've answered
them.”
Over the last 18 months Glenys has learned to use a
computer and has worked tirelessly at recording her history. I began
reading her work and have been amazed at the insight into her life this
brings.
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Glenys writes so wonderfully, with fondness and wit, of
growing up through the Depression. She speaks of her marriage, raising her
family, her philosophies and what life has taught her about friends and
family.
Insights into Glenys’ strength and wit are
revealed by stories of her mother, an incredibly strong woman who joined
the movement to gain women the right to vote.
Her ‘Life in a Jar’ has given me a peek
into a world that seems so long ago. I can only imagine how meaningful this
was to her family this past Christmas – a true legacy of thoughts and
memories, not revealed in daily conversations.
Being given such a profound glimpse into Glenys’
life has reminded me of the equally rich history my own parents have to
share. I will be encouraging them to put pen to paper this year.
January 2009
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