Terrace Review — Wednesday, January 10, 1990

Fighting the winter blues
this community and you may 7
just find something to blow
away those winter blahs.

If your loneliness is just
boredom, then a sure cure for .
the winter blahs is to get your.
mind off yourself and onto
others, Look for worthwhile
prople-oriented activities or ser-
vices to perform. Get involved.
A good place to startis with _
the Parks and Rec winter pro-

~ gram flyer: Check out the back
page for lists of volunteer
organizations — which are

Wednesday
with
Fae

@ Visit a shut-in.

@ Help someone in need with .
errands, chores, etc.

@ Surprise someone with a
winter bouquet of greenery
sprigs. _

Enrich your life — take a
course, learn something new.
Instruct a course, and enrich
the lives of others...

things you can do.

Depending on your cap-
abilities, why not try some of
these suggestions: .

@ Be friendly.

‘@ Help someone more disabled
than yourself.

® Donate time and talents to a
worthy cause. '

e Encourage someone.

@ Give someone a smile. Don’t give up.
@ Give someone ahug. _... . The best things in life still
‘®@ Look-for ways to make life are free.
more enjoyable for someone And — can spring be that
else. far off?

must bear stresses and perhaps,
from time to time, we may feel
very alone in our struggle. At
this time of year especially, it
can seem worse than it is. We

by Fae Mooney

Is it depression? Or just
boredom?

hes ‘Mills Me

-For some of us, it may be
. loneliness.
How can you tell?
Winter. It usually blows in to
- town with all its out-flow fury
during the first weeks of
January. That’s depressing. For
the non-snow bunnies there is
nothing to do now but hiber-
nate ‘til spring. That’s boring.
When darkness draws in at
mid-afternoon, when it snows
and blows eternally and the
cold creeps in to gnaw at stiff,
aching joints, when no one is
there at the end of the day with
a smile or a hug... that’s
loneliness.
Loneliness is a hunger, a
deep human need for intimacy
and contact with others. We all
feel the need to be wanted, to
‘be appreciated, to be loved, to
be understood and accepted as
we are. It’s not good to be
isolated from that needed sup-
_port and encouragement from
_ others. It’s not good to be
‘alone — too much private in-
trospective thinking can be
negative and self-defeating,
especially if persona] trauma
: has recently occurred: divorce
or separation, death of a loved-
- one, loss of a job, serious il-
Iness or injury...
All of us, from time to time,

¢

ou Kierra Obera (the one in the middle) got a spec
morial. Hospital. Betty Nordstrom, re

lose some perspective during
these dark dreary days of
winter. It’s not as easy to get
out and about. We can feel
more isolated, trapped, dis-
couraged — lonely. Through
dim winter days, and even
longer winter nights, we face
our problems alone.

Who are the lonely in our
community? Mothers without
mates, children without parents
(whether physically or emo-
tionally), the divorced, the
separated, the widowed, the
elderly. People battling with
severe problems: drug addic-
tion, chronic illness, debili-
tating injuries, long-term un-
employment... Sadly, surveys
reveal that the loneliest are
those in their teens and early
adult years.

Is there help in-our com-
munity for those struggling
with loneliness?

The inside front cover of the
Terrace telephone directory lists
important numbers. For per-
sons in emotional crisis the
Crisis Centre number is
635-5566.

Another good phone number
to have is this one: it’s for
Parks and Recreation —
638-1174. A lot is going on in

always in need of volunteer
help. ;

I have no recipe for success,
but what follows are a few in-
gredients for successful service:

Do you know someone who
is lonely? Be available — to
listen, to share. Offer encour-
agement and support.

Serve with the other person’s
best interest in mind.

Serve where you are needed.
Look for opportunities. Deter-
mine where you can serve best.
Access your talents and skills.

Be committed. Be sure you
can finish what you start. Do
you have the necessary re-
sources available — such as
time, energy?

Provide quality service.
Don’t let those counting on
you down.

A benefit you may derive

from giving of yourself may be -

an opportunity. to-develop new
skills, to perfect already ac-
quired skills, or to discover
new talents and abilities pre-.
viously unknown'to you.

Serving others can be one of
life’s greatest joys.

If you feel lonely, dis-
couraged —- trapped — the ad-
vice still applies. Even though
your present circumstances may
restrict you, there still are

ial gift for bein
presenting the hospital auxiliary, presented
Miriam Baillie photo. .

g the first baby born in 1990 at

@ Make a gift and surprise
someone with it.
@ Pray for others.

@ Consider others with special —

needs.

@ Send a ‘‘thinking-of-you”
note to a shut-in. © |

@ Thank someone for a kind-

“ness, no matter how simple or

small.
@ Write a creative, cheerful
letter to someone.

_ @ Record a cassette letter —

use innovative sound effects.
@ Sing. ~

® Take a correspondence
course.

@ Keep as active as your cir-
cumstances will permit.

If you can get out and
about, then why not consider
some of these acts of generosi-
ty:

@ Babysit for a single parent
— for free.

@ Donate your time and
talents to’a worthy cause.

e Entertain with a shared pot-

‘luck meal. “

@ Join a service organization;
become a Big Sister or Girl

Guide Leader.

@ Prepare‘a special meal for a
special someone.

THE SIGN OF A
GOOD BUSINESS
NEIGHBOR ...

THE SIGN OF
A MERCHANT
WHO CARES
ABOUT PEOPLE...

This emblem identifies
the civic-minded
businessmen who sponsor

ent ig

in the community.

Terry Kendell 638-8178

ViMiddleton 685-5672

If you wish to announce

the birth of YOUR baby, please fill out the form
available in the maternity ward at Mills Memorial
Hospital. We will pick up your forms every week,

sister for Landon..

DAIGNEAULT — Jim and Kathy, formerly of
Terrace, are pleased to announce the birth of a
daughter, Shaylin Brett,
Kelowna General Hospital on Dec. 21, 1989. A

weighing 7 Ibs. 3 oz. at

For years and years we wanted a boy,
Now what we have is an adorable toy.

Her name is Vaile Alexandria, born Dec. 24, 1989 _
to Ted and Mardis Kennedy, a sister to Laird.

FLOWERS
ATA CARTES ©

[635-4080 |

After Store
; TER

12-4741 LAKELSE, TERRACE: |

Hours 638-1954 / Telex 04786649 .
RACE FLOWERS A LA CARTE LTD,

3

: mother Jean with an engraved silver baby dish recently.

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