Opinion

I concluded last week’s column with a lament by the psalmist, “How long, O Lord . . . will you hide your face from me?” I promised I would share in this week’s column how I see Christmas as God’s response. A lot has happened since then.

Once in awhile a community is gripped by grief. The ripple effect from Brandon Thomas’ death has been felt by many in our community and beyond.

These last few days before Christmas, our Gift Wrap Centre is open and ready to take care of your wrapping in exchange for a donation to emergency accommodation needs in Cochrane.

In my last column, I outlined the first five tips for keeping your horses healthy during the winter — they included adequate movement, being with a group, time to graze or forage, provide mental stimulation and respecting your horses’ instincts.

Hockey’s a funny old game. I picked up my first hockey stick at the age of 22 when I was living in Kimberley, B.C., and was invited to join the men’s recreational league there. The only problem was I had never skated before.

This past spring, a young man named Jess Findlay beat out over 25,000 other entrants to win the Youth Award in a prestigious photography competition hosted by Nature’s Best Photography.

In personal worlds of turmoil, heavy hearts and differences of opinion, it’s nice to know there are some places that feel safe – sacred places where people of longing, listening, loving hearts are at home, and beauty and peace prevail.

It was an event that shouldn’t have happened. But it did. It had to. It was a vigil last Saturday night at the Mitford Pond in memory of a 17-year-old Cochrane High School student killed in a car accident Dec.6. Apparently, by a drunk driver.

I love this town and its employees but sometimes I just shake my head, like what were they thinking? A case in point. In last week’s edition of the Cochrane Times there was a full page advertisement from the town with pictures on longtime employees.

Doug Campbell is a well known individual around Cochrane with his involvement in many worthwhile organizations.