Zoom Challenge from Japan

I am a sporadic facebook user, although I have worked at paying a  little more attention since Covid-19. After a busy Wednesday, I took a quick look through FB, and much to my delight I saw this message directed to me from the Mont Blanc Project in Japan.

Canadian Rocky Mountain members use zoom to challenge a meeting over the ocean with you.

I immediately accepted the challenge and will start the zoom ball rolling with my friend and translator par excellence, Yoshie.

Many of my readers read about this adventure, last July, when this special group of mountain climbers arrived in Calgary from Japan. They came to hike in the Rockies and spend a day at Wellspring Calgary.

It was so delightful for me, Nancy Wright, and all the wonderful members, volunteers and staff at Wellspring Calgary to get to spend time together, with our Japanese guests. You can read more on my blog and I will link to the posts, in my notes. In summary, it was full of joy from beginning to end.

For now, a reminder of their inspirational purpose:

to demonstrate to themselves and others that you can live an active, purposeful and joyful life while ageing  and while experiencing serious illness.

The timing seems perfect for three reasons:

• I am thinking everyday about old friends
• I had a call this week with one of those precious friends
• An intention to make time to follow through, by getting in touch and staying in touch

I can testify to my delight when I heard the voice of my friend and immediately saw her face in front of me. And we were not on zoom. And I felt that small and unexpected leap of joy when I spotted the zoom challenge to Trudy on FB.

Our friends and family make our lives worth living. Old friends, scattered across the globe and new friends whom we are lucky enough to meet in our 70’s. Dear  friends and family who are part of our everyday life. And for me, all the wonderful people whom I have had the privilege to meet, through my life’s work, including right here, on this page.

I have been thinking so much about the question, “what matters most?” And the answer changes at different ages and circumstances for each of us.What matters most to me is not the same as for my 14 year old granddaughter or  the 31 year old who has just received a diagnosis of cancer.

This has nothing to do with comparison and everything to do with our life stages and contexts. It is worth it, however, no matter your age to consider the question. And then take a peak to see if you are acting on and with “what matters most.”

Don’t save your best till last. Be bountiful with your words and actions, while you can.

Notes

Note: 1) Yesterday on my walk with Rowan at 7:15 AM he said, “Nana, let’s say what we like about each other. We can go back and forth. If one of us repeats what the other one said, they need to say a second thing on that round.” And so it went, walking along the canal, with flowering trees and hundreds of tulips  and beautiful flowers in bloom. Telling each other what we like about that person. What a way to start the day.

Note: 2) Here are some links:

A joyful music video put together by the cast of the Broadway Play, Beautiful.  It made me smile and a tear welled up over the incredible response from the entertainment and artistic community to brighten our days and cheer us on. Thank you!

Links to blog posts with my/our Japanese friends:

The Mont Blanc Effect

The Universal Language of Generosity

Harvard Study (80 years of continuous research on the role of relationships and community in healthy and happy ageing) 

Note:3) Find the beauty everyday.  It is always there even in the midst of grief and sadness. 

Note: 4) Thank you for dropping by. I appreciate you all, dear readers, more than you could imagine. Hugs all around, Trudy