Nancy Wales

The Blessing of Memories

“We all have our time machines. Some take us back, they are called memories. Some take us forward, they are called dreams. ”
— Jeremy Irons

Today, my heart was touched by the blessing of memories. The month of November offers me several occasions to think of my departed loved ones, All Souls Day, All Saints Day, and the anniversary of my mom’s death on the 19th.

As I recalled my loved ones, the phrase of our Jewish neighbours,  “May her or his memory be a blessing,” came to mind. One of the gifts of longer years is the treasure-house built up of memories to access, to be enjoyed. The beautiful human ability to evoke times, places, and relationships is indeed, as our faith companions often say, a blessing.

I invite you to recall one particular memory stored in your heart’s treasure house of memories today and behold the blessing.

-Nancy Wales, CSJ

IMAGES: Unsplash/Nathan Dumlao; Alex Guillaume

Talking to a Stranger

Put Aside the Old Adage

With our childhood days behind us, it’s time to put aside an earlier message, “Don’t talk to strangers.” I’m hoping you are already aware that the week of November 18-25 is designated as Talk To A Stranger Week. But just in case you haven’t heard about it, hopefully, I can help you get up to speed. The week is intended to tout the positive advantages of reaching out to others and encouraging Canadians to try to engage with others. Something as simple as saying good morning, smiling, or striking up a conversation with someone unknown to us, displays trust. These friendly gestures have been correlated to individual well-being, thereby making a difference in our daily life and the lives of other people.

A 2021 Canadian Social Connection Survey highlighted that those who said they talked to a stranger just once a week were up to three times happier than those who didn’t speak to strangers. While this finding may seem unbelievable to some, other research suggests that only 20% of Canadians talk to strangers each day and it is nearly 100% of the time that both parties are happy that the exchange happened.  

Dr. Gillian Sandstrom, a Canadian researcher at the University of Sussex, suggests that a simple chat with a stranger can:​ improve well-being, make us happier, increase a sense of connection and improve levels of trust. Her research also indicates that practicing conversations with strangers for at least a week can reduce the fear of rejection and boost confidence!

For our well-being and that of others - let’s initiate reaching out to others. With the world as it is, don’t we all want a boost of confidence and a greater sense of belonging?

-Sister Nancy Wales, CSJ

Nature’s Artistry

“How beautiful the leaves grow old.

How beautiful their light and colour are in their last days.”

John Burroughs

I must confess, I miss the seasonal, northern beauty I witnessed firsthand during my twenty-two years of ministry in northern Canada. Although, I readily admit that Ontario’s autumns are spectacular, the fall of 2024, seems to be outdoing itself.

Everywhere I look, I see trees dressed in eye-catching finery. Nature, using her expansive colour palette, has gifted our orbs with a manifold array of varicoloured leaves.

As my eyes delight in this stunning  view, I am cognizant of its fragility. I am well aware that impending frost, forthcoming breezes, and chilly rains will all too soon strip the trees of their festive garments once again.

However, my northern experience, makes me confident that if we look closely, we will begin noticing Mother Nature weaving her winter wonders. Let us keep our eyes open to seeing each season’s beauty.

-Nancy Wales, csj

Images: UNSPLASH Claude Laprise | Emmanuel Phaeton

Soul Food: A Book Recommendation

If you are on the lookout for a book recommendation for your spiritual reading, may I suggest, the new book (February 2024), “Come, Have Breakfast,” by Elizabeth Johnston, csj. As a lover of the psalms, beholder of God as creative mystery, and a member of our Federation Ecology Committee I found it a perfect fit for me.

I was pleasantly surprised to find how readable yet profound  this well known, erudite spiritual writer’s insights conveyed nourishment for my soul. I appreciated the author’s use of language laced with poetic and biblical images and the book’s format of individual one-sitting meditations.

Amazon eloquently introduces Johnston’s book to potential readers:

“In her latest work, prize-winning theologian Elizabeth Johnson views planet Earth, its beauty and threatened state, through the lens of scripture. Each luminous meditation offers a snapshot of one aspect of the holy mystery who creates, indwells, redeems, vivifies, and sanctifies the whole world. Together, [the meditations] offer a panoramic view of the living God who loves the earth, accompanies all its creatures in their living and their dying, and moves us to care for our uncommon common home.” -Amazon.ca

To sample Come Have Breakfast and have an opportunity to meet with its author, Elizabeth Johnston, csj I suggest viewing Sister Elizabeth in a one-on-one interview with her book’s publisher, Robert Ellsberg, below.

-Sister Nancy Wales, csj | Avid Reader

World Teachers’ Day - October 5

World Teachers' Day is an international day held annually on 5 October to celebrate the work of teachers. It was established in 1994. To  celebrate World Teachers' Day, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and Education International (EI) mount a campaign each year to help give the world better understanding of teachers and the role they play in the development of students and society.  ~ Wikipedia                              

I googled, “The changing role of teachers” wishing to contribute a blog post for World Teachers’ Day. The search engine introduced me to Dr. Jayendrakumar. N. Amin and his informative paper entitled, “Redefining the Role of Teachers in the Digital Era.”

““Teaching is not just a job. It is a human service, and it must be thought of as a mission.”
”
— Dr. Ralph Tyler

In summary, his scholarly article points out that the 21st century educator’s role has shifted from being an “instructor”, who dispenses, in my words, prescribed packages of information, to assuming the multifaceted role of becoming, in his words, “the constructor, facilitator, coach, and creator of learning environments”.

The paper underscores that this transformation of the teacher’s roles from knowledge transmitter to facilitator and coordinator is both complex and challenging in our present changing world. World Teachers’ Day offers us an opportunity to acknowledge the contributions our teachers make to the betterment of society.

Today’s teachers,  amid the daily barrage of misinformation, help develop the knowledge but more importantly the judgement and understanding young people need to be wise and contributing citizens.

““Some people change the world.
And some people change the people who change the world,
and that’s you.” ”
— Kij Johnson

As a former educator, I urge all of us today, to pause, be thankful, and appreciate that the daily task of the classroom teacher is complex and challenging but paramount   to the development of learners and society. 

Let all of us today offer a virtual, resounding  shout out to  all teachers, thanking them for the multiple, often underappreciated roles they fulfill day in and day out.

-Sister Nancy Wales, csj