16 minute read
Cinderella Story
Photo: Courtesy of Sony Pictures Releasing A Song in Her Heart Grammynominated pop singer Camila Cabello plays Cinderella in the new movie, a poor orphaned girl who works hard and dreams of a better life
New romantic comedy reimagines the classic fable.
by Diane Stark
Cinderella, the romantic comedy in theatres this month, is a live-action, musical version of the famous fairy tale.
Grammy-nominated pop singer Camila Cabello plays the title role, a poor orphaned girl who works hard and dreams of a better life. Idina Menzel (Frozen) stars as Vivian, Cinderella’s stepmother. Billy Porter (Kinky Boots) plays the Fab G, Cinderella’s genderless fairy godparent, who swoops in and uses magic to make all of Cinderella’s dreams come true. Nicholas Galitzine plays the prince and Pierce Brosnan stars as his father, King Rowan.
Will Cinderella find her “happily ever after” with the prince or will the magic end when the clock strikes midnight?
Don’t Trust to Luck Many of us dream of a better life. We might wish that we had a fairy godmother who could wave a magic wand and make all of our problems go away. A wave of the wand turns our clunky old car into something new and shiny. Another wave of
the wand turns our messy home into something that belongs in the pages of a magazine. A third wave transforms our spouse into Prince— or Princess—Charming.
Unfortunately, that’s not the way life works. When things in our lives improve, it’s almost always the result of hard work and perseverance, not luck or magic wands. The story of Cinderella is so famous that it’s used to describe a person or a team who outperforms expectations. If a team who wasn’t expected to do well ends up winning the championship game, we refer to it as a Cinderella story. But the players on that team don’t attribute their success to luck. They remember the hours they spent practising and preparing for that big game. Where others see a Cinderella story, they see the work they did that helped them achieve their success.
Our Own “Happily Ever After” People might look at a happy marriage the same way. “Oh, they’re just perfect for one another,” we might say. Or “I wish I could find my ‘happily ever after’ like they have.” But the truth is that successful relationships take work. They require selflessness and forgiveness, and often, giving more to the relationship than you get back.
Don’t misunderstand. Falling in love is magical. It is the best feeling in this world. But staying in love takes commitment. Because our spouses aren’t always charming. And neither are we.
Society tells us to give up on relationships when they become challenging. People often use the excuse that they “married the wrong person” or “fell out of love.” But what does the Bible say about love? 1 Peter 4:8 says, “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”
On this earth, even a “happily ever after” relationship will still have problems. We will still disagree with our partners. They will still occasionally hurt or disappoint us. And we will let them down, too.
Disagreements and disappointments will always be a part of our relationships because we are all imperfect beings. “Happily ever after” doesn’t require each person to be perfect. We just need to love each other despite our flaws, as God loves us.
And, amazingly, God wants to spend forever with us. We just have to say yes.
The Power of Music
HAYLEY FRANCIS CANN’S GOAL IS TO ADVOCATE AND EDUCATE. by Ken Ramstead
Photo: Suzy Lamont Photography
Sing-along Time Music therapy is more than just a job for Hayley Francis Cann
One of music therapist Hayley Francis Cann’s patients was a woman in long-term care suffering from dementia.
“Before her condition worsened, she’d walked away from religion and had rejected the church,” Hayley recalls.
But as her dementia progressed, Hayley discovered that the woman
responded to the Sunday school songs that had resonated with her in her youth.
“Her face would light up and she knew the songs word for word, even in her condition,” Hayley says. “Her family was surprised due to how adamant she’d been against worship and religion. It opened up conversation not only for her, in her state, but with the woman’s family about their own faith.”
Hayley was blessed to be with the family in the room an hour before the woman passed away.
“We were singing the old hymns and it was a beautiful time,” Hayley says. “I strongly believe that God gives us the opportunity to connect with Him in our final moments. And I have still stayed connected with that family.
“By creating these connections that have such meaning, music therapy has become more than just a job I do.”
“Sign Me Up” A third-generation member of The Salvation Army, Hayley was born in Halifax while her mother was attending university.
Following her studies, Hayley’s mother returned home to Bermuda, where six-year-old Hayley discovered her love for music by joining the junior band of her Salvation Army church and playing the trumpet.
“Music came naturally to me, I think, because my family was so involved in The Salvation Army, primarily through the ministry of music,” Hayley says. “My mother was in the band, and both my grandfathers had been in band leadership roles. In some form, everybody in my family has participated in either the songster groups [choirs] or the band at some point in their lives, and I knew that at some point I would end up there as well.”
During her adolescence, Hayley attended various conferences and music camps in Bermuda and Canada, joined the senior band, played at open-air services and mentored young musicians.
Eventually, Hayley decided to leave home and study at Acadia University in Wolfville, N.S.
“I knew I wanted to pursue a career in music, but I also knew I did not want to be a performer or a music teacher,” she says. “From my visits with the Army band to hospitals and rest homes, I appreciated the power of music on God’s people,
and so when I found that Acadia had a music-therapy program, I said, ‘Yes! Sign me up!’ ”
Finding a Calling While at Acadia, Hayley had the opportunity to reflect on and explore her faith through church groups, reading the Bible and journaling.
“I might not have understood it as a child, but by growing up and figuring out my own faith and what my relationship with God looked like, I came to understand how real it was,” she says. “I was able to make a deeper connection with my faith.”
As well, through the praise and worship portions of the Salvation Army services, Hayley saw how intimately people responded and connected with their faith based on worship music.
“After studying in university and growing closer to God in my own faith, I had no doubt that music was the calling of my life,” she says.
Shirley Smiles “This photo was taken during my internship a couple of years ago in Perth, Ont. I was working with strokerehabilitation patients. Shirley was struggling with depression, and it was wonderful to see how music brought that kind of emotion out of her. To connect with that joyful side of who she is, outside of what had happened to her, and make her smile, was wonderful for her husband to see, and I’m glad that we were able to capture that on camera”
Making Connections Hayley graduated from Acadia and is now a qualified music therapist situated in the Kingston area of Ontario, where she attends the
Army’s Kingston Citadel church.
Her work as a music therapist serves individuals in long-term care with dementia, responsive behaviours and depressive symptoms. She also works in the community with children on the autism spectrum and adults recovering from brain injury.
“In every interaction, my aim is to provide a safe and authentic experience where God leads,” she says. “Perhaps my perspective of my purpose in this profession is a little different from that of my colleagues, but I believe the best sessions happen when I let God lead. This doesn’t mean that I am pushing the Bible on people, but it does mean that if the opportunity arises to share my faith, I absolutely will. This often allows an opportunity to engage in meaningful conversations about faith and share in a time of healing worship.”
When asked why she loves doing what she does, Hayley replies, “I’m not doing it for myself. It’s inspiring to connect with other people and to help them along their wellness journeys. I think that’s why I disconnected from the performance side of things—I didn’t think that would be enough for me. Being able to make tangible connections with people—which is so meaningful to our spiritual, emotional and mental health—continues to motivate me to do what I do.”
Photo: Katrina Pollit
Mandy’s Mom, the Music Therapist “The idea for a book was planted on my heart right after I finished my internship. The words just flew out of me, so I came to the conclusion that they were not mine and I had to do something with them. I’m a very visual learner and so I wanted something that told a story with pictures as well as words.
“The book is written rhythmically. I’m a music therapist and so I wanted other music therapists to use this as a tool for advocacy.
“There’s a dedication at the front of the book to my grandmother, who recently passed away, and the illustrator used a photo of her when she was younger to depict the music therapist. Likewise, she based the little girl, Mandy, on a photo of me as a young girl.”
Photos: Rachel Connell
In This Together
PLANNING A WEDDING IN A PANDEMIC. by Brianne Zelinsky-Carew
IT WAS THE END OF MARCH,
and to many working in Toronto’s downtown, it looked and felt like the end of the world. Within hours, big towers had closed their doors and offices issued work-fromhome notices. For the first time, my commute on the Don Valley Parkway was quiet, devoid of the usual rush-hour traffic. In those surreal moments, I triaged the chaos
Imagine Me and You, I Do Brianne Zelinsky and Michael Carew celebrate their nuptials
that had so quickly tangled my thoughts:
I am safe. How do I stay safe? My family is healthy. What can I do to protect them? My job is secure. What if the working capital dries up? At least, I have Michael. Oh, no ... our wedding.
Planning a Pandemic Wedding I was set to marry the love of my
The Only One for Me Is You Michael and Brianne met exactly 10 years before their wedding
life and partner of six years on July 17, 2020. Michael Carew and I had met at our church exactly 10 years prior to our wedding date and, after getting engaged the summer before that, found ourselves in the final stretches of planning it when the pandemic hit.
When the Ontario government issued physical-distancing directives, limiting gatherings to five people, I was living with my parents in the north end of Toronto and Michael was downtown at the condo that was soon to be our first home together. My social bubble became my social lifeline.
Organizing family Zoom calls and sitting around the dinner table quickly took precedence over sourcing a florist, sampling cakes and all the other tasks we had as an engaged couple. By the time our venue officially called off the event and asked us to postpone to 2021, I actually felt relieved.
Suddenly, I had permission to reimagine what the wedding could be like if there were only 10 people present, possibly less.
Writing vows The health crisis, though stressful, allowed me to focus my attention on what matters. I took a little more time to think about my wedding vows and a little less time worrying about hosting 130 people for dinner.
As I began writing my vows, I started jotting down the best qualities in my partner, Michael.
When I thought of him, I thought of the years we spent texting each other “good morning” and “good night” while dating long-distance from separate universities. I remembered the letters he wrote me whenever I travelled internationally. As I closed my eyes, vignettes of graduations, surprise birthdays, funerals, shared Christmas dinners between our families and that memorable Thanksgiving Michael spilt sparkling juice on my grandpa rolled through my mind.
When I thought of Michael, I thought of the magic that was just being together, so I wrote my first vow: “I vow to keep family close, because family together is a beautiful place to be.”
A New Perspective The trending phrase and hashtag “We Are in This Together” took on new meaning as months in isolation
passed. Some days, it was the battle call of our resilient country, reminding users on social media that no one is ever alone. On others, it was the only string of words I could find as I comforted a friend who had been laid off work.
And on one particular day, just one month before the wedding, it was my gut reaction when Michael called me after a disheartening doctor’s visit. He had just learned that the blurry spots in his eyes were a symptom of significant scarring related to diabetes complications. He would need long-term treatments to avoid permanent vision loss.
There were many moments when I retreated to the familiar words from Isaiah 41:10, “Fear not, for I am with you” (English Standard Version). This comforting reminder of God’s presence is reassurance that He chooses to be in this together with us.
For Michael and me, this challenge put love into action and gave us real perspective of what marriage would look like. We came to fully understand and accept the significance behind saying “I do” and committing a life together.
The Wedding Day When the day of our microwedding arrived, in some ways, I found myself mourning the loss of celebration. Before we started planning this day—even before we were engaged—we agreed that there was something about a summer wedding with family and friends that just felt right. So we designed it with that vibe in mind.
Plans changed dramatically and, though we were disappointed to abandon the party we had imagined, it evolved into something that resembled that little dream.
Our ceremony had a scaledback attendance that started with
So Happy Together Brianne’s father, Salvation Army Major Rick Zelinsky, officiated, with Majors Beverly and David Ivany looking on
people standing two metres apart and ended with a homemade meal in my parents’ backyard. My dad—a Salvation Army pastor—officiated, and my brother and sister-in-law watched via FaceTime from another province.
The details were almost all made by hand with the help of my social bubble. We designed and printed the programs and painted rocks from the river behind my house to use as paperweights that doubled as takehome gifts.
As I stood at the end of the aisle, looking out at those I love most, I reached the very freeing realization that even though this was all it could be, it was also all it ever needed to be. All You Need Is Love If you were to dub one song as the anthem of this pandemic, what song would you choose? I would have proposed a tie between All By Myself by Celine Dion and Let Go Of Your Plans by Lukas Nelson. That is, until my dad referenced the Beatles’ All You Need Is Love during his sermon at our wedding. Love is enough, God is enough and, with the merger of the two, our small celebration was enough.
Our pandemic wedding didn’t feel like a less-than version of what we had initially planned; it was the full version. I’ll always remember July 17, 2020, as the perfect day because it was spent in the best way possible with those I love most—together.
“I am very grateful to The Salvation Army and to God,” says Janice
Healing After Abuse
A SALVATION ARMY WOMEN’S SHELTER IN MONTREAL HELPED JANICE TAKE BACK CONTROL OF HER LIFE. by Larisa Chis
Janice arrived at L’Abri d’espoir more than a year ago. Her journey to The Salvation Army’s Montreal women’s shelter to be where she is today required determination, support and help.
To escape an abusive relationship, Janice moved to Quebec with her daughter as it was the safest place for both at the time. When they arrived in Montreal, her daughter found an apartment, but it was too small for both of them to live together. While Janice didn’t want her daughter to worry about her, she never thought she would be homeless and without a job. She did what she had to in order to make sure her daughter wouldn’t have to live on the streets. Being Thankful Janice found out about The Salvation Army’s L’Abri d’espoir in a resource kit provided by Tracom, a non-profit organization that provides crisis intervention services and support. When she first arrived at L’Abri d’espoir, she was extremely anxious and cried as she was nervous about the future.
“The staff made me feel comfortable in my room, and I immediately felt that everything was going to be OK,” she explains.
On her journey to recovery, Janice faced multiple challenges. The main ones were both physical and psychological as she suffers from fibromyalgia and paralyzing anxiety.
“L’Abri d’espoir provided me with
food, a bed, comfortable room, access to proper medication, but most importantly a routine and a calm place,” says Janice. “I could go for a walk in the park, swim in the pool and even ride a bike, things I was very thankful for.”
“I Can Manage” When Janice was asked how she felt today after a year at L’Abri d’espoir, she said she was very content and proud of herself. “I can’t remember the last time I felt like this,” says Janice.
Janice now has a full-time job and is a member of the electricians’ union.
Being part of the union guarantees her hours, full benefits and the potential to work until she is 69 years old. Staying at L’Abri d’espoir also allowed Janice to support her daughter to get her bachelor’s degree in 2019.
Due to COVID-19, Janice is working full-time, but from her room at L’Abri d’espoir. She says that having a quiet room where she can work whenever she wants while being safe is very important.
L’Abri d’espoir’s long-term program is offered for a maximum stay of two years, so Janice took the next steps in her recovery. With her social worker’s help, Janice applied at La Maison Marguerite, an organization that helps women in need, where she got her own apartment this winter.
She’s proud of what she has accomplished.
“I can manage now,” says Janice. “I am very grateful to The Salvation Army and to God.”
(left) Larisa Chis is the communications officer at The Salvation Army’s divisional headquarters in Montreal.
