INSIDE
“COMMUNITY
EVENTS B2

ON THE STREET.
STEPHANIE WIEBE |

a
Gaunchie
a a a ‘
gift giving
§-THE saying goes, it is more
blessed to give than it is to
receive. True, giving is more
satisfying than getting, as any
parent can altest. The sole exception to the
rule, of course, is underwear.

I feel particularly blessed each Christmas
when my mother-in-law sends me new un-
derwear. J don’t mean lacy lingerie or boxer
Shorts dotted with glow-in-the-dark
reindeer, I’m talking serious underwear
here — respectable, working underwear.
The kind that comes in packs of four, so
you can stock up when there’s a good sale,
The type. of skivvies worn by, say, Boris
Yeltsin.

For as long as I can remember, Christmas
and new underwear have gone hand-in-
hand. Some people give out candy canes;
my relatives exchange gaunchies. If you’ve
never known such a custom, you can’t im-
agine the sheer pride of knowing the whole
clan is decked out in their best New Year
knickers.

Of course, there’s an etiquette with. this.

“sort of gift, We..don’t just. park .ourselves..”.

near the tree and recklessly hand out briefs,
lo any yahoo linked by blood or marriage,
‘you know. There are strict regulations,

It’s a matter of comfort levels. In-laws,
for example, take several years of family
membership before they qualify for un-
derwear gift status. With some family
members — like stout, snooty aunts and
cousins out on parole — it’s best to keep
undershorts out of the holiday picture
entirely.

Christmas, however, means it’s open sea-
son on children. Every child under ten is
fair game for receiving any sort of un-
derwear or underwear by-product — drop-
seat long johns, day-of-the-week panty sets,
and Bugs Bunny boxers — the whole gam-
ut.

You've got to admit, nothing
says “season’s greetings” quite
like a good, sincere four-pack of
briefs.

The whole thing sometimes brings add sur-
prises for the adulls, too, One recent Christmas,
for instance, my sister, duc to a mix-up of par-
cels, was mistakenly given a box of men’s

briefs — you know the kind: squarish, white |

Fruit-of-the-Looms.

Rather than exchange them, she proudly wore
men’s briefs beneath dresses for several weeks,
lifling her skirts at dinner partics to Dash me
when no one was looking. Now, there’s a
holiday scene you'll never find on a greeting
card.

All of which only goes to prove the adage that
underwear speaks louder than words, Not that
the more customary gifts aren’t thoughtfu] and
practical — socks, Scarves, gloves and the like
— but you ve got to admit, nothing says

“season's greetings” quite like a good, sincere
four-pack of briefs, =

My mother-in-law is the most dedicated
holiday underwear advocate of all, Like I said,

each December she sends several pairs of sturdy

white knickers my way — enowgh cotton and
elastic to drape a small window. This, I figure,
is a tactile form of maternal protection, keeping
plenty of thick fabric between me and the out-
side world. ‘

Her gift also verifies the fact that, like it or
not, each of us acis an agent for the entire fam-
ily, Just like the old cliche, my mother-in-law’s
gift ensures that should I get hit by a snowplow,
my underwear would do the family proud,

Which is a good thing, because now. that I

have aired the family laundry-‘in print, this. -
Christmas I'll be needing all a Brownie Points :
Tcan possibly get. PU ea a

"to the Skeena Mall. There shop-

~ people

Tetrault.

._ Staffer Jody Eey.

TERRACE STANDARD

The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, December 6, 1995 - Bt

Holidays not cheerful for all

HAPPY HOLIDAYS! Merry
Christmas! Everywhere you tum
advertisers, movie makers, stores

and more are telling people what

a wonderful time of year it is.
However, for some the holiday
season is a time to be endured,

not enjoyed. For those who've .-
recently had a death in the family,
or have a terminally ill relative or...
friend, it’s a particularly diffi cult

time,

year in a row.

Last year approximately - “35 ;
none:
service and:

came to. the

denominational

That's why the Terrace Hospice |
Society is hosting a ‘‘Celebrate a”
Life’”’ ceremony for the second

ceremony, reports hospice coor. | |

dinator Diane MacCormac.

“Tt was a simple, sbort

ceremony with many periods: of .. : :
silence when people could re-.
member their loved ones,’ said

MacCommae, ‘“‘It was about hope, . - —

faith and love.””
The ceremony featured ap-

propriate Christmas carols, a. few.
readings prepared in advance, ..
some personal stories and a short

service.

No one was put on the spot, or oo

expected to talk about their per-
sonal experiences, explained
MacCornac,

After the service people lit
candles and decorated a Christ.
mas trees with tags recalling the’.
names of loved ones. Then every-)- 0°.
one was invited to stay for coffee. - °:

and home baking. -

This year’s ceremony is along Jos
much the same lines, says Mac-. *
Cormac, It’s scheduled for Tues- ©.
day, Dec, 12 from 7:30 to 9:30 °. >.
722. :

p-m. at the Elks Hall,

pets have the opportunity to fill

out a tag remembering someone

special to them.
“There were hundreds of lags
on the tree last year,’’ said Mac-

' Cormac, “Every day I would

come down and sce more and
more.’”

She was particularly touched by -

the care people took to keep the
tree and table with literature tidy.

D
" Ing Celebrate-a Life ceremony.

like-a quiet time to remember that person.

e MacCormac lights a candle which will be used’ In the upcom- a : “et
The ceremony is for people who've lost a loved one, and would. _

~ SECTION B
“cris LEYKAUF
638: 7283

“The table: “and “tree “were

treated with so much respect,”
She said. “They. were - never
messed up.”

The celebrate a life ceremony is
a particularly good time for
closure, said MacCormac.

‘We send out invitations, but

Remembering

By Hazel Chretien

WHILE unpacking decorations, to hang upon my tree

1 lifted tissue from a box and found your precious memory

Like a faming crimson Christmas ball, it hung fragile, by a thread
Spangling warmth and fire through my heart, rellecting ‘Yesterdays in

red,

So, cautiously, I turned it round, still carefut of the pain

peace I'd gained.

, That seated and scalded through my soui'’d destroy the hard sought

You won't be here this Christmas, | and I can't come to you
But tonight, your near, reminding me, of times we shared or wanted to.

Oh the darkness at your passing. I thought I'd never see this day
Where I'd be standing, decorating, my Christmas tree in such a way

’ Yet where my grief has been the deepest, I am now amazed to find

That in sands of time, where tears have watered this wondrous treasure

left bebind.

Ob yes! There’s pain, and tears, and aching and always wishing you

were here

But now, I see the joy we share together as ] remember keeps you near
Too fast, I felt the moment passing, but my throbbing heart grew soft

and light
To celebrate you, I’d light a candle,

and push away the darksome night.

Again I reached into the tissue, through the mist of days otic by
Balls of green, and blué and gold lay glistening, beckoning ine to hold

them high

With trembling hands I started lifting each gleaming | bit of history
Tears and laughter intertwining, hope garlanding my Christmas tree

Injured pound pooch saved

SHEENA, the injured dog
who needed a $150 operation,
has been returned to her
adopted family, thanks to the
generosity of Terrace resi-
dents. Her plight was detailed
in last week’s Terrace Stan-
dard.

“We just got 1 a fantastic.
Ttesponse from. the:
munity,”” said animal Shelter

 Sheetia’s.. “operation : went -

ose well, ‘ind she went back to > her ;

com-

shelter’: ‘injured antinal. fund,

family last Friday,

The family has seven chii-
dren, and they were devastated
at the thought of losing their
newly adopted dog,

“"Phe kids were just ec-

Static,” Cey said, describing
_ their. ‘reactions: when she told

them the good news.
Many. people from the com-
munily phoned in to the.

shelter, offering, to. donate - °

money to- Sheena and: to the

it’s open to anybody. It's ap:

propriate to a wide range of
people.” . , ;

Although she says the
ceremony is more for people who
have celebrated 4 loss, those who
have an. ilf relative or friend may
also wish to atiend..

“Tt can be very difficult if i

is. the first Christmas someone

has to spend alone,’’ she said. On:
: the other hand, some people may:

spend years grieving for a lost
loved one, she adds;

“There is no time limit on’:

grief. ”

m Tree trimming time
CHILDREN FROM the child development centre helped
decorate the ‘tree of lights’ at the Skeena Mall last Friday,

The child development centre is once again selling Hghts for
the tree to help raise money for activities. re

which has been badly

depleted.
As of last Friday Cey

reported that people had

donated : over $175; ‘and the
money was still coming - in.
One local | businessman: ‘also ©

' offered: to- pay: for: the whole i

cost of Sheena’ 's operation, :

Another © call ‘was from: a.
tencher. Sho: said her class, was
: €

That fund is finally looking
better, thanks to the recent

; donations,

The money in the fund will
be used to. buy eardrops, eye.
drops and will also go,towards
minot:.operations;.: said: Cey.

All of it will: be: tised’ to-help.~.
injured animals. in, some: form

or another. |

“The. ‘tespionse' ‘Was “just a
SW overbelining,: ‘says: ‘animal. a