Season Of Giving
Something about the season. Seeing all around, not just the frantic faces of those determined to buy suitable gifts for friends and family, but despite the pressure of this particular social contract, people tend, perplexingly, to relax their habitual tendency to ignore the presence of others. They're frenetically shopping, it's true, but they also tend to smilingly acknowledge the presence of others, far more than they ordinarily do.
To exhibit a more caring attitude in recognition of our common heritage as human beings. Distracted, to be sure, but mindful at this special time to Christians that the season also obligates them to be somehow kinder and gentler, more generous to one another. It's at this time of the year that charities, depending on the goodwill of those who have, to spare something for those who haven't, manage to collect donations in excess of those received otherwise throughout the year.
And it's also the time of year that, no matter whether one is a member of a minority group whose religion is entirely other than that of Christianity, others within the community become infected with the spirit of good cheer. It's hard to step aside and ignore the sounds and colours, the anticipatory atmosphere. It isn't all that hard under the circumstances to willingly return "Merry Christmas" when strangers offer the common greeting.
And those who truly practise what their traditions preach are a special group unto themselves. When people, year after year, go out of their way to ensure that children living in poverty are also able to share in the general light-headiness of the season. Take, for example, Rene and Sue Baril of Hawkesbury. He's a retired military man, and she's his devoted partner in delivering toys and stuffed animals to their town's needy children.
The weather in eastern Ontario, just as it's presented throughout the country, this year, has been extraordinarily wintry; windy, snowy, extremely cold. People perish in this kind of weather - if they're lost, disoriented, giving themselves up to the warmth and comfort that a still-descending snow cover provides when they've expended all their energy in trying to reach safety - falling into the deep sleep of death.
Just such an accident occurred to a woman living in a small town near Toronto this past week-end. She set out in the family vehicle to search for some baking supplies. Her vehicle broke down, and she began walking, walking. Her husband reported her missing later that night. Several days later a search party discovered her, thanks to a search dog, buried deep in snow, a small breathing hole her salvation.
The homeless, resisting entreaties to come in out of the killing cold at night, risk frostbite, hypothermia, and death. They're discovered, later, lifeless, and society has lost another of its members to the cruelty of a winter beautiful beyond belief with newfallen snow muffling the landscape, ice crystals winking back catching the light from the myriad stars in a velvet-black night, and not a sound to be heard anywhere.
People out for an evening stroll, despite the difficulty of slogging through deep drifts of newfallen snow can occasionally never return. Which is just what happened to a 66-year-old man, now on life support with a grim prognosis. Sue and Rene Baril, with their driver, Richard Giroux, were halfway through their mission to provide children with toys, when Mr. Baril shouted at Mr. Giroux that he must immediately stop.
A bulky object lying by the side of the road which they automatically took to be an abandoned bag of some kind, was the body of a man who had fallen forward, his face hidden in the deep snow. Wearing his Santa regalia, Mr. Baril leaped from the vehicle, and rushed to give assistance. No pulse, no breath. A protocol of chest pumping was initiated, while Mr. Giroux called 911.
As he frantically pumped the inert man's chest, Mr. Baril realized the unmistakable symptoms of heart attack, pain spreading from his chest to his arms, a sensation he had experienced previously, which required emergency angioplasty and a stent to prop an artery in his heart. He understood well what was occurring, but he continued trying to save another man's life. Mr. Giroux intervened, and they took turns pumping, finally accomplishing a faint, irregular pulse.
Another man, living close by who had heard the frantic commotion outside, emerged from his home, identifying himself as a paramedic, and commenced to take control, keeping the unconscious man's pulse going until the ambulance and police arrived. The ambulance sped the man to hospital, and very soon afterward, the police did the same with Mr. Baril.
Mr. Baril was finally dispatched to the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, where he underwent another angioplasty and the replacement of his clogged stent. The unfortunate 66-year-old who had collapsed with a heart attack, shows no signs of brain activity and is not expected to outlast Christmas Day.
But his family have the comfort of knowing that there are kind people in their community, and their beloved father, grandfather was not left to perish alone and uncared for.
To exhibit a more caring attitude in recognition of our common heritage as human beings. Distracted, to be sure, but mindful at this special time to Christians that the season also obligates them to be somehow kinder and gentler, more generous to one another. It's at this time of the year that charities, depending on the goodwill of those who have, to spare something for those who haven't, manage to collect donations in excess of those received otherwise throughout the year.
And it's also the time of year that, no matter whether one is a member of a minority group whose religion is entirely other than that of Christianity, others within the community become infected with the spirit of good cheer. It's hard to step aside and ignore the sounds and colours, the anticipatory atmosphere. It isn't all that hard under the circumstances to willingly return "Merry Christmas" when strangers offer the common greeting.
And those who truly practise what their traditions preach are a special group unto themselves. When people, year after year, go out of their way to ensure that children living in poverty are also able to share in the general light-headiness of the season. Take, for example, Rene and Sue Baril of Hawkesbury. He's a retired military man, and she's his devoted partner in delivering toys and stuffed animals to their town's needy children.
The weather in eastern Ontario, just as it's presented throughout the country, this year, has been extraordinarily wintry; windy, snowy, extremely cold. People perish in this kind of weather - if they're lost, disoriented, giving themselves up to the warmth and comfort that a still-descending snow cover provides when they've expended all their energy in trying to reach safety - falling into the deep sleep of death.
Just such an accident occurred to a woman living in a small town near Toronto this past week-end. She set out in the family vehicle to search for some baking supplies. Her vehicle broke down, and she began walking, walking. Her husband reported her missing later that night. Several days later a search party discovered her, thanks to a search dog, buried deep in snow, a small breathing hole her salvation.
The homeless, resisting entreaties to come in out of the killing cold at night, risk frostbite, hypothermia, and death. They're discovered, later, lifeless, and society has lost another of its members to the cruelty of a winter beautiful beyond belief with newfallen snow muffling the landscape, ice crystals winking back catching the light from the myriad stars in a velvet-black night, and not a sound to be heard anywhere.
People out for an evening stroll, despite the difficulty of slogging through deep drifts of newfallen snow can occasionally never return. Which is just what happened to a 66-year-old man, now on life support with a grim prognosis. Sue and Rene Baril, with their driver, Richard Giroux, were halfway through their mission to provide children with toys, when Mr. Baril shouted at Mr. Giroux that he must immediately stop.
A bulky object lying by the side of the road which they automatically took to be an abandoned bag of some kind, was the body of a man who had fallen forward, his face hidden in the deep snow. Wearing his Santa regalia, Mr. Baril leaped from the vehicle, and rushed to give assistance. No pulse, no breath. A protocol of chest pumping was initiated, while Mr. Giroux called 911.
As he frantically pumped the inert man's chest, Mr. Baril realized the unmistakable symptoms of heart attack, pain spreading from his chest to his arms, a sensation he had experienced previously, which required emergency angioplasty and a stent to prop an artery in his heart. He understood well what was occurring, but he continued trying to save another man's life. Mr. Giroux intervened, and they took turns pumping, finally accomplishing a faint, irregular pulse.
Another man, living close by who had heard the frantic commotion outside, emerged from his home, identifying himself as a paramedic, and commenced to take control, keeping the unconscious man's pulse going until the ambulance and police arrived. The ambulance sped the man to hospital, and very soon afterward, the police did the same with Mr. Baril.
Mr. Baril was finally dispatched to the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, where he underwent another angioplasty and the replacement of his clogged stent. The unfortunate 66-year-old who had collapsed with a heart attack, shows no signs of brain activity and is not expected to outlast Christmas Day.
But his family have the comfort of knowing that there are kind people in their community, and their beloved father, grandfather was not left to perish alone and uncared for.
Labels: Environment, Human Relations
posted by Pieface @ 5:45 PM
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