Our Final Day

It’s late Thursday evening as I sit down to view the photos that are supposed to capture the events of the day. They say a picture is worth a thousand words . . . and yet, I know that neither words nor pictures are adequate to describe the emotions of the friendships forged in these three days.

We carpooled in twos and threes, gathering as a group in Chilliwack’s beautiful Minter Garden. Some took advantage of the sunshine for their drive in.

By now we are getting rather good at seeing the right photo op and quickly finding a willing participant to take on a slew of cameras. The little business card tucked into their possession just might bring them to this site and see what all the fuss is about. (Top -left to right - Judy, Marg, Lovella -Middle - Julie, Betty, Anneliese, Bev - sitting at the bottom - Ellen, Kathy, Charlotte.)

We strolled along meandering paths through lush flowering gardens . . .

Stopping on bridges …

with our cameras in hand, giving each other tips on photography . . .

and Lovella showing us how it’s done.

We talked about things that don’t matter . . . and things that do.

Although summer is quickly coming to an end, the gardeners have done a great job keeping the grounds beautiful and showing off what’s in season.

The smiles came easy!

Our final meal was hosted by Julie in her Clubhouse . . .

A true Mennonite meal of Borscht, Zwieback and Schnetki! Just what we would have ordered by this time!

We laughed . . . we cried and we encouraged one another as we allowed ourselves to be real . . . and in doing this, we each realized our unique fit into a group where we are loved the way we are. . . yet challenged to grow and be who we were meant to be . . . in this season of our lives.

Thank you to Marg and Kathy for the entertainment and organizing our first of - hopefully many - mini re-treats!