The Magic of the Season

2004-12 The days are getting shorter, the nights are getting colder, and the valley is settling down under the gray cloud that hangs over us most of the winter. Flying overhead, on their way to warmer climes, people might think there was nothing going on under that cloud, but they would be wrong. Up and down the valley people are doing magic. The gray days and the cold don't slow anyone in the valley down, and certainly not the seniors. There is far too much to do, as a quick glance through the schedules for the various Seniors Centres and recreation centres will show. For those who are new to the area, or who just haven't thought about joining before, this is a perfect time to get involved in your local seniors community. Another pair of hands is always welcome; a new face with new stories and fresh jokes will always find a smile and a cup of coffee wherever they live in the valley. Take a moment to browse through the schedules and you will very likely find an activity that catches your interest, and the more active you are the healthier. Take a moment, too, to read the 'Tips on Preventing Falls' on page 20 , and make sure that your busy schedule is followed safely. Everyone's winter schedule, of course, will take them to the shopping malls sooner or later. There is no escape. I quite like the colours and the decorations, and even the hustle and the bustle of generally good-natured shoppers. However, I cannot pretend to enjoy the new faster, screeching versions of the old Christmas songs. 'The Little Drummer Boy' was never intended to be sung as a rock song! "O Holy Night' was never meant to be sung by someone undergoing root canal work without the benefit of anesthetic! There is some Christmas music that is meant to be quiet and thoughtful, but you won't hear much of it anymore in the stores. Someone decided that all the music needed to be louder and faster and this nameless someone should be buried with broken pieces of "White Christmas" records through his heart. I must admit, though, that the pace of holiday shopping is nicer now that we are in the malls by choice, and not by necessity. Christmas shopping is so much easier, and I don't envy the parents or youngsters who are being dragged from store to store in search of the always elusive perfect gift. The choices seem limitless to me, and I still suspect that the box it came in gets as much attention as the gift. One of the most imaginative and popular gift ideas today is the personalized gift certificate, each of which must be carefully drawn and printed out individually after much careful thought. Oh, not for an item from a store, but for the perfect gift for the particular recipient. It might be a certificate, good for one year, for a nice lunch and an afternoon of shopping. It could be dinner and a movie, or a summer picnic, or a night of bowling. Some would appreciate the promise of a car wash or a game of crib. A certificate for an evening of free babysitting can be appreciated, as can the promise to drive out one evening and tour the Christmas lights. The possibilities are endless. It is wonderful how much magic can fit into a simple envelope. Tickets, for example. Kim Calloway's suggestion of sharing tickets for the Okanagan Symphony Christmas Concert, or Rudy Loeser's suggestion of sharing tickets to The Nutcracker could both create the memory of an evening that will outlast any gift from a store. At the same time we might all follow Joel's recommendation that we leave 'frantic' for the other people, and spend our time with people we care about, doing quiet and simple activities that keep the important things front and center. Teaching a youngster how to catch a snowflake on his/her tongue, or how to make a snow 'angel'. One of the quiet, simple activities that people in the area do is, of course, volunteering. You see them wherever there is a kettle for the Salvation Army, or a mall kiosk offering gift-wrapping. They are out there in the snow delivering their 'meals on wheels' and driving folks to their doctor's appointments. They run each and every senior centre and they are the foundations for all the recreation programs. They quietly go about their tasks and make everything work and they make it seem so easy we often don't even notice them. Talk about magic! To the people who make the magic happen, and to all of our readers, all of us at the Seniors CHOICE send wishes for a happy holiday season, and a healthy and contented New Year. May the winter be kind to us all, and may 2005 bring peace. Pat Archibald - Editor

 

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