IN THE IMAGE #13 – Prince Albert Daily Herald

I have a friend who I call Stella because I didn’t ask permission to tell her story. She Stella will soon be 89 years old. Recently, Stella informed me that her family had taken the car to Alberta so she couldn’t show it to me that day, but she had just delivered a new car.
Stella and I often rub shoulders when volunteering at our local food bank. She lifts, carries, lifts, encourages, laughs. When the children show up, Stella appears with treats. When clients she has known for decades show up, I see her recognizing each other and happily dancing with them.
I need someone like Stella in my life to teach me how to live with enthusiasm and hope.
I asked Stella about her new car. I asked a friend to help me figure out all the switches and suddenly the steering wheel got hot!” was
Awe-inspiring yes, but not overwhelmed. These were challenges she faced and overcome, as well as others that came from being on her doorstep for ten years.
Stella has lived an important and fulfilling life. She is also a great storyteller, and when I listen to her, when she tells good chapters, very difficult chapters, tears flow easily and spontaneously. So does a sense of wonder at the many things that do not happen, a sense of the wonder of the opportunities that have been set before her.
Until last year, Stella lived alone, but after years of her partner’s death, she finally decided that was too much. I laughed a little embarrassed at the fuss caused by leaving it on. “I asked the manager if I would be kicked out!”
When she touches on stories of loss and grief, Stella notes that while you’re in the middle of those difficult stories, there’s that feeling of, “How am I going to make it through this?” Yet, in terms of great age, her reflection is, “This too shall pass.”
The food bank is the only way Stella can provide energy and encouragement. She has her talent and passion to encourage those in need. During her paid working life, Stella was ahead of her time, providing the gift of affirmation and joy to those on the front lines.
There are passages in the Bible where Jeremiah and Isaiah come to mind, and although God’s chosen people are in a difficult predicament, they plant vineyards, build houses, and live hopefully. You are encouraged to send The future looks bleak. The challenge I feel is living with hope towards a new reality.
That’s the lesson Stella and the new car teach me. Stella has important places to go, important things to do. This new car represents those events, the points of light in her life, the places where she can shine, her determination that nothing can stop her from going to those places. That light also reflects on her. Stella is different.
First Nation spirituality and culture support the elders, recognizing the important lessons and many stories that have been collected over the decades, and the wisdom that their rich lives provide. It reminds me of its importance. For having spiritual blessings to offer. I have been blessed with many elders in my life. I sat at their feet, determined to live well, and chose to live as God challenged me to live.
Thank God. Thank you Stella.

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