Looking back, many of us will consider 2020 to be a year that we’ll be happy to see the end of. The global pandemic, and incidents and events calling our attention to the need to put an end to systemic racism and discrimination for once and for all have pushed us in ways we didn’t see coming. Discomfort and uncertainty surround us, and will continue to for a while.
And yet, here comes the holiday season… celebrated in many different ways and with countless traditions, all seemingly united by the concepts of light, and hope. At the core of that is something very human: our ability to hold onto hope, and to look for the light even in the darkest times. So, rather than racing through these next few weeks to “get to the other side” and the promise of a better year ahead, I think that we should choose to settle ourselves into the light that is here right now… and remind ourselves that hope is a way of thinking… something we learn. We can help each other to remember to be hopeful, to show each other the light and promise ahead.
I was asked recently if there are any stories of our kids and families that stand out for me around the holidays. There are SO many, but one that especially illustrates my point right now. A little boy in one of our Clubs shared with his favourite/trusted staff person that he’d learned that their family wouldn’t be having Christmas that year, because they couldn’t afford it, and then he said: “But that’s ok, because at least we’ll all be together.” That little boy had already learned to be hopeful and to see the light in his family being together. Thankfully, because of the support of our BGC friends and donors, that little boy and his family did get to celebrate Christmas that year after all, full of joy and excitement and family, just as it’s meant to be. That’s because being hopeful, of course, isn’t limited to holding out hope for ourselves, it extends to the hopes we hold for our family, friends, and neighbours that we know and even those we don’t.
So, as the holidays approach – whether you celebrate Diwali, Hanukkah, Christmas, Chinese New Year, Kwanzaa – please know that if you’re looking for the hope and light, choosing to support BGC will provide just that to thousands of kids, youth and families this holiday season.
Take care,
Carolyn Tuckwell
President & CEO
ctuckwell@bgcbc.ca | 604.879.6554
