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SENIOR SCAPE: The Old Days


By Christina Doyle

Grandpa was telling his young grandson what life was like when he was a boy.
“In the winter we'd ice skate on our pond. In the summer we would swim in the pond, and pick berries in the woods. We'd swing on an old tire my dad hung from a tree on a rope. AnXd we had a pony we rode all over the farm.”
The little boy was amazed and sat silently for a minute. Finally, he said, “Granddad, I wish I'd gotten to know you a lot sooner!”
Don't you just love kids? What comes out of their mouths is plain old genuine. They innocently just don't know how to spare your feelings, they are just brutally honest.
Take, for instance, about five or more years back, I was teaching Grade 2 and it was indoor recess again that same week. Lo and behold, a couple of my students found my old photo album with pictures of students I had taught over the course of 35 years and all the different activities we had done in the past.
As one of the students was turning the pages, he spoke out and said, “Wow, who is that?” and the other student said, “Oh that's Mrs. Doyle!” He then glanced at me, paused and turned to his friend and said, “...what happened?”
Ouch! That hurt, yeah, I know I have aged but couldn't you be a little easier on me? You have just got to love kids!
Or the time we were writing Mother's Day cards and I had asked all the students to think of all the wonderful talents their moms possess. One little guy couldn't think of a darn thing. I said to him “OK Jayden, what about…she drives a car, and she takes you to school, right?” “Yeah,” he replied, “but she's not good at it.”
What, I said, how do you know she isn't good at it? He turned to me and said, “Mrs. Doyle, the police always give her a ticket! She has a lot of tickets,” he added.
So, we just wrote, “thank you mom for driving the car!” Another wrote, “dear Mom, I really love you and thank you for not making that meatloaf again!” Finally, one of our students' mother had just had a baby; a baby boy. Ashley wrote, “dear mom, thank you for my baby brother, but what I hoped for was a puppy!”
This July I thought I would bring you a smile. Sure, its fun to share a good laugh. But did you know it can improve your health? It's true, laughter is strong medicine. It draws people together in ways that trigger healthy physical and emotional changes in the body.
Laughter strengthens your immune system. Laughter is a powerful antidote to stress, pain, and conflict. Nothing works faster or more dependably to bring your mind and body back into balance than a good laugh. Humor lightens your burdens, inspires hope, connects you to others, and keeps you grounded, focused, and alert. It also helps you to release anger and be more forgiving. Laughter takes you to a higher place where you can view the world from a more relaxed, positive and joyful perspective.
Now, go tell a friend a good joke, stop watching the news, and for your health, cheer up, smile and go ahead …you can laugh at me!
Have a laughable July! Happy Birthday Canada!

HAPPENINGS AT THE SENIORS' CENTRE

Toronto City Tour and Aga Khan Museum. The bus leaves the Stronach Centre on Wellington Street at 8.45 am and returns about 5.30 pm on Wednesday August 8. The cost is $113 per person for members and $123 for non-members. If you are interested, give Andrew a call at 905-727-3123 ext. 3611.

Computer Club. In previous years the computer club has closed down during the summer months, but this year they have decided to operate their Tuesday afternoon sessions to help members who need help. They will be operating with fewer volunteers but there probably will not be as many members who need help during July and August.

Purse Party. The Aurora Seniors' Centre is looking for gently used and loved purses, clutches, and small carry bags. If you have a purse you would like to donate, please leave it at reception. Money raised will be used for the Centre's Christmas holiday charity.
Post date: 2018-07-11 13:22:10
Post date GMT: 2018-07-11 17:22:10
Post modified date: 2018-07-11 13:22:10
Post modified date GMT: 2018-07-11 17:22:10
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