Submitted by Brad Inglis
I know…I know…we are still sure to get hit with a wallop of snow yet, but gosh this weather has been great for getting around! And it will make the winter seem that much shorter…I hope? In the spirit of the winter bound month of February and the Hallmark-created occasion of Valentine’s Day; I have decided to host a Missing My Valentine Lunch. All widows and widowers here in Tobermory are invited to lunch on Friday February 14th at the church. It will be a pretty simple lunch made by yours truly – my famous Mac & Cheese and salad and of course carrot cake (the only things I know how to make). Lunch will be served right at 11:30am so come prior to that. And this way you can still make it to The Park for the weekly Friday movie which will be Rocket Man and it is well worth seeing! Just so that I have a sense of numbers, please rsvp by Thursday February 13th. You can either send me an email binglis2@me.com or leave a message on the church phone 519-596-2394. All are welcome and it is just a nice way to gather, not be alone and remember your valentine.
Speaking of food! Tuesday February 25th is our annual Pancake Supper held at the Tobermory Community Centre from 5 to 7pm. Heather Munn and her wonderful crew of helpers are in full planning mode. It’s soooooo much more than just pancakes! There is farm fresh local sausage made by Peacocks, baked beans, deviled eggs and lots of other treats sure to put you into a diabetic coma. Admission is by donation and it makes for a wonderful evening out.
Wednesday February 26th will be our annual Ash Wednesday service at the church at 10am. All are welcome to this simple service that marks our time for entering the season of Lent. Lent is thought of as a time for quiet reflection as we prepare for Easter. Often folks choose to give something up or abstain from something during the six and half weeks of Lent. But what about adding something to your routine? Maybe be intentional about making those calls to friends you have lost touch with? Making a visit to someone in the nursing home that you have been putting off? Make an extra contribution to the local Food Bank or better yet collect an item per day and donate it all at the end of Lent. Lent doesn’t have to be about going without. It can also be about being intentional in your actions and making a difference in the lives of others.
Finally, I will give a plug for the Sources of Knowledge event on Thursday February 27th at the Visitors Centre starting at 7:00 pm. The folks from Sources of Knowledge have been creating a learning platform for a long time now on environmental issues, but they also consider their mandate to be community and cultural interests. For lack of being able to find anyone more suitable (or anyone who would travel if there is snow), they invited me to speak. I have agreed to talk about my adventures with mental illness and how you too can survive. Mental illness touches us all in some capacity, be it, self, family members, co-workers or in other areas of our lives. I have long since learned that feeling ashamed of this, is healthy for no one. The folks from the Sources of Knowledge have kindly made this time available because they care about this community and want to create a safe space for people to put a face to mental illness, gather some resources, ask questions and know they are not alone.
Our local health team will have information on how they support mental health and the Grey Bruce Mental Health Team will also have material available that supports wellness and techniques for living with mental health. I just get to provide the story and how, with the right resources, we can all live meaningful lives and hopefully break down some of the stigma that is attached to mental illness. It’s a serious topic, but having a bit of humour tucked in your back pocket, really helps!
Brad Inglis is the minister at Tobermory United Church. He can be reached at binglis2@me.com
www.tobermoryunited.ca
