How wonderful that John is about to celebrate the big six-oh! My children are doing the same about this time and, momentous as the occasion is for the sixty-year-olds, it is not without some effect on the parents who are able to celebrate with them, in person – especially when we begin to recall all the memories within those years!
My first memory of John was when I saw his name connected with that beautiful but distressing Anglican Video named “The Seventh Fire”, produced in 1994 – one of my first introductions to the kind of work that John and I would begin to do together as time went on. His script, so eloquently delivered by the charming and talented late Elder, Vi Smith, gave us in the Anglican Church the words by which we could begin to recognize just what we had done through those residential school years, and that was not easy. We are still struggling to begin to come to terms with that.
A few short years later, John was editor of the Untied Church Observer, and he asked me if I would write something about what came to be known as “Ipperwash”, but I was never able to put down in words a story that could be published, since my involvement was as a friend who had promised the Stoney Pointers that it was their story to tell.
Then, when I moved to Peterborough, our dear friends, Lynn and Laverne Jacobs, brought us together with John and Lorraine – and I knew you two had married to the delight of all your friends, and it was a great pleasure to meet you again since we had worked together in Project North a number of years ago!I And another dear, mutual friend, Elder Murray Whetung of Curve Lake First Nation, rounded out the party which launched me into Peterborough/Kawartha society!
That was the time, I think, when John was doing communications for Peterborough Green-up, so we met occasionally to keep in touch, almost always around First Peoples issues.
That’s when I discovered that his excellent writing skills came, at least in part, from his warm, loving heart and his ability to listen to the other’s story, no matter how long or rambling!
Now John is the UCC’s Program Director for its Aboriginal Justice and Right Relations sector, which keeps us in regular contact as well as – but for me, best of all is that John is now a member of the Kawartha Truth & Reconciliation Support Group, where his fine mind for listening and reflecting on other people’s stories while adding some engaging ones of his own is put to very good use.
Along the way, I discovered another side of John – his love of music and his ability to make it – and it was so wonderful to have you and John and Alan all play for my birthday last December!
Gosh, Lorraine, what a talented guy you have there!
John, have the best birthday ever, surrounded by family and friends, and know that you are making a big difference, for the better, in many people’s lives. I wish you many happy returns of a very happy 60th birthday! Thank you for being a wonderful friend to me.
With my love and prayers,
Jean.
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