Dear Editor,
I wanted to share a story about a recent experience my son had at the new refrigerated outdoor rink in Riverside Park here in Kemptville. It was a touching moment where someone did something many might consider ordinary, but for me it was remarkable because this individual went out of their way to be observant and kind. I don’t know who this person is. Perhaps for him, it was just another winter evening at the ODR but for my 11 year old son, it made for the best night.
He had begged me to take him to the ODR after a very busy Sunday on the Family Day holiday weekend. It was 9:15 pm. There were some much older teens/young adults (male and female) playing a game of shinny. They were definitely in a groove. I wasn’t sure they would welcome a kid much younger than them, so we sat on the bench to figure out what to do.
One of the young men came over after a few minutes of us sitting there in the dark and said – “Hey bud! Want to come out and play? We need a third player on our team.” My son was delighted and jumped on immediately and they all played shinny for nearly an hour. He was notably younger and a bit slower but it didn’t matter. The game went on in the same spirited way.
It was such a simple gesture from one thoughtful young man, but it was gracious and kind regardless. William came home and said – “This was the best day.” And I thought – “This is the best community.” I recognize that no community is perfect and there is always room for improvement. This is as true here as it is anywhere and I am glad to see how we are changing. At the same time, it is heartening to see how sometimes the smallest things can make such a big difference.
Nancy Peckford
