Ida, we met through work
In a time of broken hearts
When the reality you lived would have
Driven weaker women to their knees,
To acts of vengeance, to anger, to rage, to fear, to insecurity, to a place of solitude and regret and never-ending tears and self pity.
Not you.
Ida, warrior woman
Heart of a Bear woman
Spirit of an Eagle woman
Warmest smile woman
Strong woman
Standing tall woman
Standing her ground woman
Standing with heart held to
Sky woman
And while you sewed each piece of your heart back into place
I witnessed, in amazement
The fashioning of a mosaic heart, stitched in place with hidden gems
Mined from stories of past joys, from prayers, from the daughters you will always sacrifice the most for, the ones who bleed your heart by the simple virtues of love and being because you are their Mother, from friends, from laughter, from tears, from cherry Tim bits and sweet sugar highs, from decaffeinated coffee, from the outreach program that taught kids in detention to learn our traditions, white kids, black kids sat with us, made earrings with us for their mothers, for their sisters, for their grandmothers, you made those kids feel loved, honoured, valued, creative and talented, you made them see themselves not through the eyes of a cynical, biased legal system, but from the eyes of a stranger who cared enough to visit them every week.
I got to tag along and watch you do work that made you glow, made you beam, that helped you heal while you healed kids in trouble, gave them a reason to feel they could do good, to change their attitude, to think about a different path that utilized their new skills, to recognize their ability to create beauty from the smallest resources, you taught them to build their own mosaic hearts using beads and threaded needles.
You taught those kids that asking for help when things got knotted is sometimes just a matter of patience, waiting their turn, because help was sitting directly in front of them, they learned to try harder while they waited, they learned to help each other, they learned from you to appreciate themselves in new ways.
You taught me that outreach is not just about kids in detention, kids in trouble, kids in need...
Outreach is about community, about building people up,
Not taking them down, even the misguided ones deserve a moment of understanding, a walk down the road in their shoes, deserve a moment of compassion, a different lens, a shift in gears
To really see who they are, who they keep hidden.
And Ida, just when I thought I knew the extent of your strength, of your depth, of your passion for the people, you announced to your network that you would be cycling across Canada to bring awareness to those whose lives have been impacted, impeded by addictions.
You cycled across Canada, with your eldest daughter all the while keeping the youngest in mind, in heart, in prayer for her future, a bright future, even, maybe for my own daughter’s future.
Your indomitable will power, your determination, to pour yourself into a decision and carry it through never ceases to amaze me.
Ida,
You live each day by a decision
To do, to be, to live in kindness.
Ida,
My dear friend.
My teacher.
I see you.
I love you.
Miigwetch.
In a time of broken hearts
When the reality you lived would have
Driven weaker women to their knees,
To acts of vengeance, to anger, to rage, to fear, to insecurity, to a place of solitude and regret and never-ending tears and self pity.
Not you.
Ida, warrior woman
Heart of a Bear woman
Spirit of an Eagle woman
Warmest smile woman
Strong woman
Standing tall woman
Standing her ground woman
Standing with heart held to
Sky woman
And while you sewed each piece of your heart back into place
I witnessed, in amazement
The fashioning of a mosaic heart, stitched in place with hidden gems
Mined from stories of past joys, from prayers, from the daughters you will always sacrifice the most for, the ones who bleed your heart by the simple virtues of love and being because you are their Mother, from friends, from laughter, from tears, from cherry Tim bits and sweet sugar highs, from decaffeinated coffee, from the outreach program that taught kids in detention to learn our traditions, white kids, black kids sat with us, made earrings with us for their mothers, for their sisters, for their grandmothers, you made those kids feel loved, honoured, valued, creative and talented, you made them see themselves not through the eyes of a cynical, biased legal system, but from the eyes of a stranger who cared enough to visit them every week.
I got to tag along and watch you do work that made you glow, made you beam, that helped you heal while you healed kids in trouble, gave them a reason to feel they could do good, to change their attitude, to think about a different path that utilized their new skills, to recognize their ability to create beauty from the smallest resources, you taught them to build their own mosaic hearts using beads and threaded needles.
You taught those kids that asking for help when things got knotted is sometimes just a matter of patience, waiting their turn, because help was sitting directly in front of them, they learned to try harder while they waited, they learned to help each other, they learned from you to appreciate themselves in new ways.
You taught me that outreach is not just about kids in detention, kids in trouble, kids in need...
Outreach is about community, about building people up,
Not taking them down, even the misguided ones deserve a moment of understanding, a walk down the road in their shoes, deserve a moment of compassion, a different lens, a shift in gears
To really see who they are, who they keep hidden.
And Ida, just when I thought I knew the extent of your strength, of your depth, of your passion for the people, you announced to your network that you would be cycling across Canada to bring awareness to those whose lives have been impacted, impeded by addictions.
You cycled across Canada, with your eldest daughter all the while keeping the youngest in mind, in heart, in prayer for her future, a bright future, even, maybe for my own daughter’s future.
Your indomitable will power, your determination, to pour yourself into a decision and carry it through never ceases to amaze me.
Ida,
You live each day by a decision
To do, to be, to live in kindness.
Ida,
My dear friend.
My teacher.
I see you.
I love you.
Miigwetch.