“February is the border between winter and spring.”
Terri Guillemets
I have always believed that the worst of winter is over by February. We certainly had low temperatures, big snowfalls, and icy conditions. I hope the severe weather is behind us.
Although February is the shortest month, it contains some very special days:
Chinese New Year: February 1
Groundhog Day: February 2
Valentine’s Day: February 14
National Flag of Canada Day: February 15
National Caregiver Day: February 18
Also in February, nearly all the provinces and territories celebrate a family day/heritage day; days that go by different names but all have the same intent.
Probably among the most familiar and commercialized of all these special days is Valentine’s Day: hearts and roses and chocolate and love. I can remember, when I was going to school, the teacher saying that if we were going to give out Valentine cards we had to have one for everyone in the class, so no one would go home empty-handed. Smart teacher? Life lesson?
On the shelf there was a decorated Valentine box with a slit in the top to hold the cards. Of course, that week at least one Art class was devoted to making Valentine cards for your parents or someone special. Valentine cards used to be sold in a large book of twenty or more cards that could be punched out (sometimes they had to be cut out). Envelopes were provided, although they had to be cut out and assembled with glue (called library paste in those days. It was white and some kids ate it!). More expensive cards were made of light card stock and came individually in packages with pre-made envelopes.
Do school students still exchange Valentines? Have Valentine’s Day customs changed?
I’ve said this so many times: the one constant thing in our lives is change. John F. Kennedy said “Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or the present are certain to miss the future.”
We cannot avoid change, and the more we resist it the tougher our life becomes. It will challenge you and force you to reconsider how to live your life from then on.
COVID reared its ugly head two years ago. Everyone I know has been pushed beyond their comfort zone by persistent, extraordinary change. We have become more familiar with feelings of anxiety, defensiveness, and uncertainty than we ever thought possible. How can we develop a response to change so that we can adapt and work through it?
Being mindful of the circumstances can help us deal with change. When we are more aware of what is taking place inside us and around us, we can respond first with acceptance. Then we can choose our reaction to the change and adapt to shifting conditions. We have to find the courage and strength of will to try new things, to talk about it, to try to embrace the differences and follow through with resilience. We might even be pleasantly surprised, and find the change preferable to what we had and knew about.
My mom and dad, with five children, moved to B.C. in 1943 from rural Manitoba — very rural! My dad thought the prospects were better in B.C. for the future. We stayed with my aunt and uncle for two or three weeks before we found a place to live and a place for my dad to work. We had to adapt to change in a hurry! My aunt served us foods we’d never seen before. We had cantaloupe, bananas, celery, and various other vegetables. My dad had never had rice as an alternative to potatoes before. Rice was for rice pudding! We had to step out of our comfort zone and try everything, because it was served. We had no choice. We were curious, too, and had to muster all our courage to clean up our plates. Out of necessity we were resilient. However, some of us never learned to like Brussels sprouts!
My mom pined to go back to Manitoba. We were young; we didn’t care. We were challenged by change every day: a new town, new home, new school, new friends. My dad, in his wisdom, suggested that Mom go home for a visit. He said he was pretty sure she was just missing her family because, really, she hated the mosquitoes, thunder and lightning storms, severe winters, dust, lack of electricity, no amenities, etc., back home She did go back for several weeks, and when she returned to our small town in B.C. she was happy and adapted very well.
Change comes into our lives as a result of a crisis (a death of a loved one, friend or family) or as a result of a choice (a physical move from one place to another) or just by chance (a health issue, an accident, job change, or whatever). Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes.
Change is scary and change can be stressful. That’s a normal response in dealing with changes and challenges, but constant stress can pose problems to your physical, emotional, and mental health.
In any situation we’re faced with having to make a decision: do we accept the change graciously or not? Change can be traumatic. It is a fear of the unknown. Instead of digging in your heels and thinking “This isn’t working for me,” why not think “How can I approach this situation differently?” We can do very little to control what happens to us, but we can do a lot to control how we react to the situations we find ourselves in.
We shouldn’t resist change. That only increases pain and frustration and sorrow. We are challenged and forced to step out of our comfort zone. In trying to ignore the challenges of these changes, we deny ourselves the opportunity to learn and grow and thrive; passing up experiences and missing out on many of life’s pleasures. The more we can accept and adapt to, the better able we will be to meet each change that comes our way.
On one of our trips to Japan, I couldn’t understand why numbers of people in our tour group were searching out McDonald’s to have the same old Big Mac and fries and Coke they could have at home. Why not instead try out some authentic Japanese cuisine, relish the moment, then cherish the memory on their return to Canada?
To each his own, I guess. Sadly, it was a lost opportunity to learn and mature.
There are many things we can do to have a healthy and balanced life. Denial and resisting change will only result in us being miserable. Our resilience in life can only grow stronger when we embrace change in a positive way. We must try to be physically and mentally fit, and remain optimistic. Resilient people focus on what they can control and let go of what they can’t control. It’s important to be flexible, resilient, and bold in life, because these are key factors to being able to adapt successfully to the constant impact that changes bring.
You’re never too old to change!
I am saddened to report that a long-time member of the Clinton Seniors’ Association, Alice Crosson, died on Jan. 7. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her over many years in Clinton. Sympathy and condolences are extended to Alice’s family.
The next meeting of the Clinton Seniors’ Association will be on Feb. 18 following lunch at the Clinton Seniors’ Centre, 217 Smith Avenue.
Happy Birthday to Catherine Marcoux (Feb. 16) and Isabel Haining (Feb. 27).
“It matters not how long we live but how.”
Philip James Bailey
editorial@accjournal.ca
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