Angel

Her life has been turned upside down.  She lost her husband, sold her house and moved to a new province within three months of his death.  She left behind a lifetime's worth of friends as well.  Then she met an angel.

The day my mother-in-law, Sylvia, moved into her new garden apartment in Prince Edward Island, a neighbour from across the street introduced herself.  Her name is Angèle, Angie to English speaking people.  And she is just that, an angel.  

Being of a similar age, and having lost her first husband, Angie became a life line for Sylvia.  She and other neighbours on the street make a tiny community which looks after one another.  However it doesn't stop there.

There is a wider circle of Angie's friends that Sylvia met and with whom she plays cards.  I had the opportunity to play with them recently and it was wonderful to see the teasing, laughing, strategy and fun they have playing their various games.  Sylvia was always a card player, so these new friends help her to continue one of her favourite pass times.

I admire Sylvia's courage at this stage of her life, leaving her home, friends and family to move to PEI to be near her great grandchildren.  I know it hasn't been easy for her these last four months.  However, it's wonderful friends like these who help make a difficult situation easier to bear.

       Left:  Angie, Sylvia, Anita(seated), Eleanor