Bravo!

Image By Olena Yakobchuk

From the desk of Teresa Jordan, Executive Director – I recently had the pleasure of going to a Peterborough Lakers game with my brother.  Now, I had neither attended a lacrosse game prior, nor had I much of an idea of what the game is actually about. I was happily seated beside a senior couple, season ticket holders who talked me through the exciting, complicated and sometimes violent game.

This was all great fun and, in the process, I caught a glimpse of what I want to strive for in my future self.  No, its not as a lacrosse player, or the mascot or even the announcer giving out prizes – although they were all fabulous. It’s as the white haired elderly woman one section over from me. She is a season ticket holder, a dedicated fan and – according to my seat mates has been elderly and white-haired for all of the years that they have been attending – so no guess on her age. She sits in her seat completely unremarkably with friends – no make up or Lakers jersey or any outward sign of her inward passion.

However, when the Lakers score, this lady gets up, walks forward to the railing of her section and waves triumphantly over her head a humongous red lace bra. My neighbours told me to watch for the bra and there it was, the ultimate in whimsical dedication to cheering on a team when you are an octogenarian. It was a great game and the Lakers scored 11 times and, without fail, the brazier was waved 11 times.

There are so many grown up, tough decisions that we are forced to make over and over again each day and week – go to work when you want to nap, pay the bills when you want a new designer purse, forego the afternoon nap yet again. Let’s pause for a moment and picture this diminutive senior citizen deciding at some point that this was how she would honour her favourite team; I can just picture the sparkle in her eye as she purchased the bra that she could never hope to actually wear and hatched her playful plot. Let’s go for that sparkle as often as we can each day.

Thanks for all you do.