Seniors
Heart of Gold Donna Thompson
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arried to Jim for 42 years, Donna learned how to say “I love you” and shared in the raising of their four sons. She was born on January 21, 1948 in Prince George, British Columbia but moved to Calgary at six months. Her first memory was sticking a copper wire into an electric outlet. It was quite a shock. Another memory she has was riding her threewheeled bike. She could race down an inclined part of the sidewalk and then slam on her brakes. Naturally, she flew over the handlebars and hit her head. Donna was a shy girl, but knew that she had some mischievousness in her. Her family life was happy and even though her younger sister was considered “smarter” than she was, Donna was gifted as a piano player. Her mother played the piano/organ and her dad played the violin in the orchestra. When Donna was old enough to play the piano in the or-
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chestra, she had a crush on the conductor. She recalls one time when he told her to play louder. He was sitting on the piano bench next to her and she was swooning over him and found it difficult to concentrate. School was difficult for her, but she loved observing others and working independently. Donna attended university and started in nursing but never completed the courses. During her post secondary schooling, she had 28 different roommates and Donna’s learning took on a different turn. She learned how to clean and cook; something she hadn’t done growing up. One of her summer jobs was doing secretarial work which afforded her the opportunity to work in Germany for two years. She remembers flying on Ward Air to London and then to Frankfurt, Germany for $250. She didn’t know the language, but what helped her survive her time there was her sense of humour, which she has to this day. Donna and Jim met at a singles Seniors — Winter 2021
ward group at the church. She caught his eye because she was so gorgeous and was playing the piano with such ease. The two of them loved the youth and even to this day, they love spending time with their kids and grandchildren. Donna is also a beautiful soul who loves helping the neighbors, serving in the church and going out of her way to make others welcome. She does get teary and is sensitive and emotional when certain topics are mentioned or discussed. The pandemic was not so difficult for Donna as she says that she’s a bit of an introvert, so being alone was fine. She’s always enjoyed working alone. At one time, she thought she might be a lab technician because you could work in the lab by yourself and they would give step by step instructions; something she would have loved to have when she was living with her roommates and learning how to scrub the bathroom. Donna’s advice is spiritual. All of us on earth have been given a package of experiences that come to life as we live it. We have our sorrows and happiness, but we are taught and learn from all of those experiences. We have to have faith to get through many things in life and we need to be grateful and appreciate each day, each breath we take when we get out of bed in the morning. We need to support and love our families and others to make this world a better place. The biggest change she sees in the world are all these people with tattoos. Even though she admits that she didn’t like her dad, Donna is the most loving and caring person any neighbor would want to have.
