Dear Editor:
These feel like dark times. Not only are the skies really grey, the streets are piles of slush and ice. It’s easy to be grumpy.
But I think it’s also time to share some love and send some kudos to our local heroes. There are so many and I can only mention a few.
I owe this incredible community of ours a lot – nothing that I have done over the years has been in isolation. From the earliest days of the Elora Cooperative Preschool, where lifetime friendships were forged, to all those neighbours who shared recipes, bought my books and encouraged me to write more, living here has been and continues to be a wonderful, inspiring journey.
Our quality of life is one that few outsiders can really understand …going to the post office to pick up the mail and get a smile at the same time; being able to head down to the town hall for a campfire permit; having a locally-brewed beer on the way to the cinema or one of our truly world-class festivals; to know tradespeople by their first names; to have good bagels and cream cheese at the end of the morning walk in a cafe decorated with images by a super-talented photographer who grew up with my kids.
Then there’s the efficiency of our town crew … during the day and in the middle of the night. They rock. Heck, last week one of the guys rolled down the window of his snowplow to caution us that “it’s really icy, be careful.”
Our medical community has been the reason so many of us have survived and our county long-term care is second to none. And how about our local growers and the fun of our seasonal farmers market?
Then there’s both the Legions with all their good service work, not to mention the pretty decent pool table in Elora. They are among the most welcoming places to have a frosty beverage and a visit that I know.
How cool is it to be able to cyber-commute with friends and do business all over Canada and study around the world? Then there’s being blessed with neighbours who watch out for one another whether it’s chopping a basket of kindling or providing fresh eggs or simply bringing soup when illness hits.
It’s the time of year where we all feel a bit more grateful but this year, at least for me, I’m especially thankful for the incredible community I’ve been able to call “home” – and newspapers like this one that help keep us so well connected.
Anita Stewart,
Elora