I’m not one who thrives in large gatherings but Friday night I was glad I made the effort to show up!
Every summer I head to rural Cape Breton where I have a spot on the water, not far from my Mom’s family. She was one of seven kids so there are a lot of friends and family in the area; especially in the summer months when everyone comes home.
On this night I was headed to the local hall for a fundraiser to support my cousin’s cousin who had been off work for several months due to health issues. He was facing a significant open-heart surgery and a long recovery time in the coming days. He is the type of guy who always has a smile on his face, always shows up, volunteers where he can, and is actively involved in the community coaching baseball etc. Just a quiet, humble, good guy that always has a good joke to tell to break the ice.
On this night, I was pulling up to the hall about an hour after the initial start time and it was a full house. The parking lot was overflowing with everyone finding creative ways to squeeze into a spot. Picture a gravel parking lot surrounded by a grass field and cars filling up every available inch. The driveway into the hall is probably half a kilometer long and there were cars lining the entire driveway too. I was lucky to find a spot just before the road.
I was expecting friends and family to show up, but this was the entire community showing up to support one of their own! I literally started to tear up just looking for a parking spot. Living in the city you just don’t see this sort of outpouring of support. It was a good reminder about what is important in life!
#Community