Daryl Wood's Blog

Living on Lake Huron this is an obvious statement. But it means so much more than that for me. And today was a clear example of this phrase.

Early this morning I saw a notice that a local police constable was leading a bicycle ride to raise money for cancer. On the 45th anniversary of Terry Fox’s attempt to run across Canada with a prosthetic leg to raise money for cancer, his brother and others set out to bring in donations and awareness. A small group of riders would be coming off of the ferry from Manitoulin Island and go through the village of Tobermory to continue on their journey. Eighteen years ago Doug and visited the memorials to Terry in Victoria, B.C. and where his ride ended in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Doug was very moved and thought of Terry when he himself was diagnosed with cancer in 2017.

So, I sent out a last minute message this morning and rounded up 17 of us to stand along the highway in front of the local grocery store and wave and cheer as they rode by with an extensive police escort. They slowed down and waved back as our enthusiasm was contagious. It was an exciting few moments.

What really touched me was how much each of the people who joined me expressed their gratitude for being part of something that felt historic. Besides the many smiles and engaging conversations they felt so uplifted being part of something so special. And so … the rising tide of goodwill, lifted each little ‘boat’ who waved a flag, their arms and clapped their hands and shouted good wishes. And then we realized that many shoppers and the store owner had come out to see what the fuss was about. Many of them had big smiles and commented on our gesture.

So it is that we don’t often realize how doing something to recognize or acknowledge others can give back so much more to so many. Let’s keep the tide of kindness and compassion rising. There are many little boats waiting for a high tide.