The one thing that always helps us as a family re-acclimatize to life back in Canada is Save the Mothers’ annual Steps for Change walk. It unfolded in 15 municipalities across North America on Saturday.
The kids’ roller blades and bikes and whatever else is needed, after being in Canadian storage for eight months, have to be pulled out by this annual day, not to mention the forethought to ensure the Children’s Mother isn’t left out of the personal thanks deserved to be given her.
On Mother’s Day Sunday she was away speaking, but not before the kids brought her breakfast in bed.
On Saturday, after getting Steps to Change officially going in Dundas – the local venue where the kids and I found ourselves (and thank you to the Spec’s Scott Radley for MCing the event) – Mom was off to Stoney Creek and then St. Jacobs to also get walks launched there.
But none of this was before a Friday evening family celebration which included a few other gifts from the kids and Dad, not the least of which was a roll of duct tape to acknowledge Mom’s remarkable role in keeping things together for us.
And this was not before we all watched Mom on TV, on CTS, for this interview which celebrated Save the Mothers’ ongoing work.
If you haven’t yet heard, this now includes Jean’s long-anticipated second book, The Game Changers, co-written with Patricia Paddey, which, I’m sure, you’ll hear more about.
(This book is such a worthwhile read that it’s endorsed by Brian Stewart, a former senior correspondent for CBC-TV and John Stackhouse, former editor-in-chief of The Globe and Mail.)
Thanks to each one of you who may have taken part in any of these weekend walks, who have already purchased the new book, or who continue to help Save the Mothers one plodding and ordinary day after another.
If you want to learn more about the strengthening and growing work of Jean and her team, please do visit savethemothers.org.
One step at a time, whether you have the influence of a princess or a whether you live life more like a pauper, we can continue to help the many women who are, so disturbingly, perishing during an act as common and noble as bringing new life to this world.
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Something else that has Yours Truly back into the local spirit of things is the Tim Bosma trial.
Of course, this can easily be followed from anywhere at any time, at least anywhere where there’s internet (which, most of the time, we have in our Ugandan home).
Even so, there is something about being so close to it again, close even in geography as Tim lived just a few minutes from our Ancaster home.
Spectator columnist Susan Clairmont wrote a particularly moving behind-the-scenes piece recently which chronicled the close friendships and deep faith that have bound the Bosma family together in strength and long-suffering during this long trial.
Thank you Susan for shedding light on all this.
If you missed it, it’s here.