Down the Road by Brian Brannagan

The Kindness of Strangers

Valentine's Day - the special day dedicated to the celebration of love

And happily, there are many different kinds of love to celebrate

We love our spouses, we love our kids, we love our pets

We even love chocolate (that's a love that always burns bright - often called "true love")

There is also the kind of love that the ancient philosophers called "agape"the love for another person in general, the kind of love that results in random acts of kindness

DARWIN’S LEATHERWORK

Random acts of kindness are like Valentine's cards - only more useful They are given spontaneously to people you don't know because well, just because

And when that kind of Valentine's card - a random act of kindness - is directed at my own family membersthen that is a Valentine's card that I receive, too

We used to have this dog, Coda

Notice Of Call For Nominations

He was a Jack Russell terrier and true to his breed, he had more energy than brains (Though he was, admittedly, fairly adept at outsmarting me ) But the lack of brains didn't prevent him from having an opinion on everything, an opinion that he always wanted to share, and share with everybody and at all times (Unfortunately, not an uncommon personality trait even among non-dogs )

One beautiful spring morning, I was preparing to leave for work and the back door was open, letting in the fresh warm air And all of a sudden, here comes Coda - yap, yap, yapping as he ran through the house and out the back door, going full tilt boogie I thought he was headed out to share his opinion with one of the local squirrels, also known for their astute intellects and willingness to expound their opinions to all and sundry But instead of the clamour of both of them speaking at the same time, as was usually the case, there was silence And usually, silence when dealing with pets and kids is an 'uh-oh' moment

But not this time

I looked out and there was Coda sitting very quietly and attentively at the end of the sidewalk and there was the garbage collector guy leaning over the fence feeding him a biscuit For Coda, eating was the one (and only) activity that took precedence over opinion shouting

That was the garbage collector guy being kind to my dog

My son, when he was just starting high school, would take the city transit bus home after school He had a monthly bus pass to use, but of course, being a teen-ager, he lost it one day at school When he got on the bus that afternoon, he told the driver that he had lost his pass and the bus driver said, "That's okay - I know you have one " When I got home from work, Jacob told me about his lost bus pass There was no time to get him another before the next day, so in the morning I made sure he had the fare to pay for his ride home That night when I got home from work, Jacob gave me back the money and said he hadn't needed it He had started to put the coins in the fare collection box but the driver had put his hand over the fare box, stopped him and said, "Don't worry about it I know you have a pass "

That was the bus driver guy being kind to my son

I was visiting my daughter in Calgary and we stopped off at the grocery store to pick up a few groceries for supper My daughter was pushing the cart and we were talking and collecting various items Going thru the checkout, she paid and, still using the shopping cart, we made our way out to her car and unloaded the groceries, afterwards pushing the cart back into the cart corral We had just left the parking lot when Cass realized she didn't have her purse A quick turn around the block and back to the store We checked the cart we had used - no purse We went inside the store, back to the check-out we had used - no purse Same result at the customer service desk - no purse

In these kinds of situations, I have a tendency to problem-solve by hopping up and down and swearing a blue streak

My daughter, however, favours a more mature and rational approach So back to the car we go, and head home to start the process of cancelling credit cards, etc etc We walked up the front sidewalk and before unlocking and opening the front door, Cass checked for mail in the box mounted beside the door And there was her purse - with all her money and ID and credit cards And no notesomebody had just picked it up, must have checked her license for her address and then dropped it off That was some anonymous person, a stranger, being kind to my daughter Random acts of kindness are inherently beautiful just like any other act of love (- even if they are not directed at my dog, my son and my daughter) And unlike Valentine's cards, they have the added benefit that they can be given at any time of year - no need to wait for February 14

But all the sameHappy Valentine's Day, everybody

(And as always, especially Mrs B )

Access Communications offers $20,000 in Scholarships to Grade 12 Saskatchewan Students

Regina, SK – Applications are now open for the 2023 Access Communications Doug Alexander Scholarship Program The program awards up to 20 students each year with a $1,000 scholarship High school graduates in communities served by Access Communications are eligible for the award

Established in 2005, the Access Communications Doug Alexander Scholarship Program has awarded more than $400,000 to nearly 1,400 students since its inception The program ’ s scholarship recipients don’t just exhibit academic excellence – they demonstrate a genuine passion for volunteerism, giving their time and talent to improve their communities

“Our scholarship program focuses on the exceptional students who make their communities better by volunteering their time and talent,” said Fran Moran, Community Relations Manager at Access Commu- nications “We know the difference today’s youth can make in the province with their passion for helping others, and we ’ re honoured to help them as they continue on their educational journey ”

The program is named in honour of Doug Alexander, a legendary Saskatchewan broadcaster and former Community Relations Manager for Access “Doug used to say that if everyone did their part, the world would be a better place,” said Moran “And we know Doug would be proud of the wonderful work our province’s young people do to support their communities ”

In 2022, Access awarded scholarships to the following students:

Zaye Andreas, Martensville

Madeline Bray, Abernethy

Jaspyn Campbell, Yorkton

Karlee Dorey, Regina

Jonathan Fetsch, Yorkton

Corina Fritz, Rosetown

Kaelin Hardy, Watrous

Caiden Hendry, Nokomis

Mikayla Herter, Fox Valley

Lindsay Johnson, Lampman

Megan Kelly, Rocanville

Abigayle Kirzinger, Viscount

Emily McCreery, Regina

Raivyn Millions, Oxbow

Reina Murphy, Wapella

Hunter Paranuik, Avonlea

Sung Park, Regina

Cadence Tucker, Lashburn

Elliott Wagner, Balgonie

Wilson Williams, Regina

The application deadline for this year ’ s scholarships is Friday, March 17, 2023 An awards committee selects the recipients by considering criteria, including contribution to the community, academic achievement, extracurricular school activity, and more

To learn more about the program, visit myaccess ca/scholarships

Camping Reservations Begin on April 3rd

Saskatchewan Parks announced the opening dates for campsite reservations for 2023 Starting Monday, April 3rd and running until the 12th you will be able to book at various locations across the province starting at 7 a m each morning

April 3rd: Seasonal Reservations

April 4: Candle Lake, Good Spirit Lake, Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan Landing

April 5: Break

April 6: Douglas, Echo Valley, Makwa Lake, Narrow Hills, Pike Lake

April 10: Danielson, Great Blue Heron, Greenwater Lake, Rowan's Ravine, The Battlefords

April 11: Buffalo Pound, Bronson Forest, Duck Mountain, Moose Mountain

Tuesday february 21