trinity

Yesterday was one of those days filled with experiences and memories. It was our school's Christmas Faire. Yes, our school can call it a Christmas Faire. It is a wonderful experience filled with puppet shows, children playing stringed instruments, children singing (that would be my grade 4/5 choir), candle dipping, candy apple eating, wreath making, and lots of chatting and hugging and as we browse through two market places of hand made gifts. It was a beautiful day - cold and sunny, and for the first time in 22 years I felt so at home there. It was ironic, because this will be my last year as a staff member at the faire. In the future I will be one of the many alumni students and teachers that come back bringing young family members - great nieces and nephews, or perhaps grandchildren. Brian and I ran into friends who have known Brian since before he and I were married, they had sent their children to the Vancouver Waldorf School in the early 80s, and there they were with a great niece in tow.

In the middle of the day my husband and I drove down to Hastings and Gore to the Union Gospel Mission. I had my car filled with warm items for the downtown eastside homeless residents. I had four huge green garbage bags filled with donations from our school's Peace Assembly. Walking up the steps, passing by many homeless people, lugging in my donations is quite the experience, going from a faire where we all have so much, to a place where they have so little. And yet, everyone was in a good mood. People held the door for me, greeted me, hugged me, blessed me. It was surreal. The workers were ecstatic. They were down to one small bin 1/3 filled with toques and scarves. Here I was with bags full of hats, mitts, coats, blankets, scarves and SOCKS. Oh my God, they loved those socks. They went on and on about how socks are something they really need! So, after being showered with thanks and love, I headed back to the North Shore to work in my school's open house and then to put my classroom back together (it had been the cookie house for the Faire).

So then I was home for my after faire ritual. I make a cup of tea, and cut up my carmel apple and eat, sip tea and relax. It is lovely.

After a couple of hours we met friends of ours for dinner. It was at the restaurant where my husband and I had our first date. These are friends we met 34 years ago when she and I both were first year teachers in MacKenzie. It is a friendship I cherish. It can be months between visits and we all take up where we left off, chatting, laughing, sharing, and enjoying the company that is comfortable and loving.

I am a great believer in the number three. A priest friend of mine once said she was a trinitarian. I think I am too. At our school, in grade one, we spend two weeks talking about the quality of numbers. What is one? What is two? A teacher I am mentoring asked me for some ideas about three. Of course the famous one is Father, Son and Holy Ghost, but you can't use that in a classroom setting. The Three Kings? probably not. Mother, Father and Me? Well, this isn't always useful, especially when now for many children this is not their family constellation. The three bears? Three little pigs? Well, you get the idea. Me, myself and I? I know, too cerebral.

But there I was yesterday. The perfect quality of three. Faith, Charity and Love. Perfect.