THREE CHEERS FOR TPW! (BY PHILIPPA)

 I really miss my fellow walkers as I hang out with my very (VERY) pregnant daughter at
their home in Abbotsford, B.C. She is amazing, her due date is today but she’s feeling
fine so I don’t think anything is going to happen anytime soon. Her next doctor’s visit
will be on Monday, and I understand that various options to move things along will be
discussed at that time. I intend to remain here until that little babe makes her
appearance!
And I was sorry to miss the races in Kingston, though definitely not sorry to miss the
one in the rain. You are brave and hardy souls, well worth celebrating. And then there
is the Sporting Life 10 km coming up next week; you go girls! It’s only from a distance
that I really appreciate what an active group of women TPW’s are. No matter what our
respective ages may be, we keep on walking and talking together.
I will be back before the Give A Breath 5 km and the Under Armour 10 km in June. See
you when I return.

Kingston Race Weekend (BY BARB)

 

Never underestimate the resilience and motivation of dedicated TPW'ers!

Saturday night in Kingston, Laurel, Diane, Jo Ann, Lee, Sherry,Phyllis and Rob in the 10km race start time of 5p.m. and the rain and wind almost takes your breath away.  This hardy group and  a couple of cheerleaders even had to walk 20 minutes to the start line - call it a "warm up" although that pleasant language was not quite forthcoming!  And despite the huge temptation to go back to the warm and cozy hotel, this intrepid group set off  - often lowering their heads to avoid the nasty rain

Along the waterfront course, with the wind off Lake Ontario, at some points the walkers were only 10 metres away from the angry lake. Despite the totally miserable conditions this group completed the race, with Laurel leading the group at the finish line.  Big smiles all around with their very well deserved accomplishment! Talk of hot showers, drinks and dinner to celebrate.  Those of us not walking made sure with our "limo" service that our walkers did not have to do that 20 minute walk back to the hotel!

After a rainy start on Sunday morning,  the weather could not have been more different with blue skies, sunshine and more reasonable temperatures.  Bev, Martha and Ron (Bev's husband) set off in the 21km race, followed by Carol and Susan in the 5 km race, in much improved and enjoyable race conditions.  All came through upright and smiling! And congratulations to all the walkers with their determination and resilience. 

As a group we enjoyed downtown Kingston and some good restaurants and coffee shops, and shared in the triumphs of the weekend with another out of town race achievement. As always, the camaraderie, laughter and fun were highlights. 

This race weekend proved a different experience because of the smaller size of the race and participants - something to reflect upon as we plan our next out of town race for 2026!

Beginings and Endings

 I attended a little girl's baptism this weekend.  She's about 9 months old and was actively involved.  Splashing her hand in the font, reaching out for the candle and baptismal certificate, she showed no fear of this wet ritual.  I'm afraid I shed  a few tears as her parents and the congregation promised to raise her in safety.  Can we really make such promises? 

I also cried a few tears when I heard that Pope Francis had died.  He lived to be 88.  He, remarkably, after several weeks of serious illness, went out in the pope-mobile to meet the people  who had attended his Easter service on the day before he died. As a non-catholic, I have no views on his effectiveness as a religious leader but I was heartened by his radical change in Vatican policy in December 2023 of formally allowing priests to bless same-sex couples. Not the full step but a big one.

There's a temptation to look back at the 1930's and find parallels to our current time..Let's resist that and, instead, remember how much territory has been covered in the past 88 years. And let's keep our promises to the children born now to improve our climate, to reduce poverty, and to eliminate diseases that threaten them.

 

 

 

April is poetry month (BY DANIELLE)

 T.S. Eliot famously said that “April is the cruellest month, breeding/Lilacs out of the dead
land, mixing/ Memory and desire, stirring/ Dull roots with spring rain.”
I do not know whether the various poets’ associations decided that this makes April the
right month to be poetry month, but finding the ability to see, hear and feel poetry during
what can be a very challenging time may be what we all need right now.
Last week, for some unknown reason, perhaps because the sun came out and I could
almost feel my fingers, I decided to plant a few pansies in pots. Of course, the
temperature dropped and the plants drooped and looked like last week’s salad in the
back of the fridge. But I did not throw them out. I left them to their own devices. And lo
and behold, they have revived and are turning their faces to any ray of sun that passes
by.
Being the nerd that I am, I went in search of poems that mention pansies (or pensées –
thoughts -- because the French is far more poetic and gives the flowers their poetic
significance. When you give someone pansies, you are saying “I am thinking of you.”) It
turns out that there are innumerable poems that are about or that mention pansies. And
some are quite lovely. So here is my poetry month challenge for walkers who want to
celebrate poetry month. Find a flower, a tree, a bird, or anything in nature that you
enjoy, google it with the word “poem” and see what appears. Or even better, write your
own poem containing that image. It will make you and the day feel different.

On our aging bodies and a shared belonging (BY BARB)

 

"Our true well being depends not on our wealth or technological sophistication but, rather, on our degree of shared belonging....." *

This quote came to mind as I reflected on how we are all aging, trying to manage the aches, pains and therapies that our aging body (and those other partner bodies that we love) presents us with.   This is not to say that we are a decrepit bunch! Far from it. From our travels to our races; from our physical fitness routines to our intellectual engagements, and from our passionate discussions to the families that we love and support. We fight the good fight with our bodies that sometimes seem to betray us, and try to come to terms with the realization that this is indeed, probably a new normal. 

This new normal is met with a certain amount of stubbornness and attitude.  Whether it's battling a systemic bias against "seniors"; a pesky problem that keeps rearing its ugly head, or a new illness completely out of the blue - we are all connected by a resolve, and even I may say, a positivity that is underpinned by the "shared belonging" that our group provides so easily and profoundly.  

And along with this, is a sense of hope and optimism that we all lean into when we are side swiped if not blindsided by what is happening to our bodies.  (What's happening to our brains is a topic for another day....).  We often say that we derive comfort in knowing that we are not alone- the aging process does not discriminate - and we can commiserate knowing that in the end we rarely get a free pass.

But in the meantime, we will put one foot in front of the other, smile, laugh, share stories and welcome another new life.  We delight in the coming of spring (especially the certainty of it!)  engage in our challenging, if not a bit darker world, support each other and continue to cherish our shared belonging 

* From "On Belonging:  Finding Connection in an Age of Isolation" by Canadian author Kim Samuel.