by Gary Dyck
Must being in love always mean being in pain? Love is uncertain. You have to keep choosing to love, even when you’re unsure about what will happen in the future. -Alain de Botton
Besides promoting a new line of sugar-free pop, Michael Bublé has also made a return to the pop charts in recent years. Several years ago his young son Noah was diagnosed with cancer and Michael and his wife took a break from their very public careers. After Noah was given the all-clear in 2017, Michael penned, what he says is the best song he had ever written, Forever Now, about his children. You won’t ever hear him sing it in a concert though, as it is too emotional for him.
After the ordeal was over Michael had this to say about his loved ones and nearly losing his young son: “All of the things I thought were such a big deal, like my insecurities, what people think of me, how many will this sell, what will the critics say — they went in a moment. Suddenly all I could think was, ‘Why did I ever allow that in? Why didn’t I see that I have all I need right here, that everything else is fluff?”
As Valentine’s Day approaches, let’s remember that true love is hard, but so worth it. Let’s not let our differing opinions get in the way of real relationship. Looking at Mennonite history, we see that too often we let our disagreements separate us. It didn’t work so well for them, and it won’t work for us.
We are gearing up for a memorable 2022 season at the Mennonite Heritage Village (MHV). Let us know if you know of anyone who would be a good seasonal manager of our Livery Barn Restaurant. It is a unique position that can be hard to fill. MHV is also looking for a new Development Coordinator. Unfortunately, our current Development Coordinator Patrick Friesen is leaving us! We will miss his friendship, his ability to connect with others including on social media and how he adeptly promotes all things MHV.
This Valentine’s Day when you play Michael Bublé, be sure to listen to his Forever Now song and remember how our loved ones are so much more important than the daily temporal fluff we worry about. Happy Valentine’s Day and hope to see you at our upcoming Winter Carnival and Author’s night!
Upcoming Events:
- MHV’s galleries and Village Books & Gifts are open Tuesday to Saturday, 9am – 5pm. Our award-winning ‘Mennonites at War’ exhibit is also available online. Keep checking our website for upcoming events, including our popular author nights.
- Free Skating Saturdays, 9am – 5pm.Our staff and volunteers have worked hard to prepare the ice rink beside our General Store in the village. A ‘tin for the bin’ food donation for the food bank, is all you need to enjoy free skating on Saturdays. Bring your friends and family and enjoy a great setting for skating!
- Winter Carnival, February 19, 9am – 5pm. Save the date for our annual Winter Carnival! Admission is free and there will be plenty of fun activities for all ages. Proof of vaccination will be required.
- An Evening with the Authors, February 23, 7pm. Join some of our local authors as they read from their books. The Village Books & Gifts carries a wide variety of local and Mennonite writers. Three authors will present on February 23rd:
– George Klassen will recall the challenge to “Design a Better Hand Pump” in the 1970s’ Bangladesh.
– Donald Thiessen will share his memories in “Come Walk With Me” including a collection of Low German Proverbs
– John Toews will present “Letters from Lena: Part 1 The Caucasus 1924-35” which details life of family caught behind the Iron Curtain.
There will be opportunity to meet the authors after presentation. Coffee and dainties will be served.