Generosity
This past month families experiencing flooding lost so much. Having little to no time to respond, many lost items stored in the basement or crawlspace, especially seasonal items that were damaged beyond repair. Considering much bigger loses occurred, why is it that losing Christmas decorations hurts so much? The ornament made by our kids, the picture ornaments of special memories, family antiques carefully wrapped and placed on the tree each year. Memories of better times lost in soggy basements. Allison Gardner, Teacher for Indigenous Success (Supporting Indigenous Pedagogy), knows this all to well, as she and her family also experienced flooding, evacuation and significant damage to their farm and home. With the kindness she exudes each day, Allison created a special craft the students from Upper Sumas could work on together. She taught them the Indigenous teaching of giving away your first created item in the spirit of generosity. The students created one special ornament to share with others and then a second ornament for their own family. Families on the Sumas Prairie were gifted these special ornaments in their mailboxes, hand-delivered by Allison. Our thoughts are with the families from the Sumas area. May these ornaments, made with love, bring you a little moment of joy.