Maybe In My Next Life...

It all started in the fall of 2008 at Toronto City Hall. It ended this month in a quiet location some 150 km north at Simcoe County’s Copeland Forest. Was it for the 14 medals, walking 70 km for a cause I am passionate about? Or perhaps being in the company of some of the world’s greatest athletes, for a few hours at least? I have enjoyed the support from friends, participating with runners of all ages and nationalities. It was that powerful feeling I was part of something greater than myself. The Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon was for me like Christmas, something to look forward to.

I was never a runner. Growing up, I got used to finishing dead last in any race; except, back in grade two a second place finish in the 50 metres dash, carrying an egg on a spoon. Kids used to call me “hoppy”, amused at the way I ran. I was among the lucky ones who had survived the polio epidemic of 1951. It left its mark on a four year old kid who with the help of March of Dimes had to learn to walk again with brace and crutches. Years later, along with 50,000 other Canadians, I faced the challenge of Post Polio Syndrome (PPS).

So when a friend invited me to register for the 2008 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, I was hesitant. What peaked my interest was the option to walk 5km and at the same time raise funds for a Canadian charity we were operating in Kenya. So I did not have to compete with those brilliant runners from Kenya’s Rift Valley? Such a relief. I could create my own PB “personal best”, and still make a contribution to orphaned youth who because of life circumstance could not pay school fees to attend school. Now I was interested. A dozen of us registered as Team CES Canada. One ran the marathon, two the half, seven ran 5 km while my wife Linda and I walked that distance. 

September 24, 2008 - 5am wake-up call - 6:30 arrival at Nathan Phillips Square Toronto - 8:00 the start for 15,000, hoping to eventually cross the finish line to earn that coveted medal. With loud music pumping, hoping to experience the ‘runner’s high’, we were swept up in the moment. A human stream of athletes, each wearing an electronic bib jostled for position as we took off heading south towards the lake. I felt like royalty as we passed drummers and acrobat teams, with water station attendants, singers, and dancers urging us on. I shall never forget walking up Bay Street, with Old Toronto City Hall in sight. 500m…300m…now at Queen Street with 100m to go. The announcer called my name - “Michael from Barrie Ontario.” Hundreds were cheering, the place was packed. What a reception! A sudden adrenaline rush carried me across the finish line in 0:51:01. What a moment –– a medal, fresh bagel, bottle of water and a banana was my reward. 

Since then STWM has become a part of my life. In 2011 CES Canada established the Canada Day Run (CDR) in western Kenya. Sharing our story with the Canada Running Series, we were permitted to collect “gently used - greatly loved” athletic shoes at Harry’s Spring 5Km Run Off at High Park. That was followed by the Running Room Toronto Yonge Street 10km Race and of course the big one - the now world class Toronto Marathon. 5,000 shoes shipped overseas became prizes at the CDR in Kakamega Kenya. Students who ran barefoot in the 5km run, went home with the first pair of shoes they had ever owned. Thanks to all who donated their runners –– you have no idea of the joy you have brought to students we support in Kenya.

For a number of years CES invited Kenyan athletes to a victory party after the STWM. We mobilized others in the Kenyan community to join us, including the office of the Kenya High Commission in Ottawa. They all showed up for a barbecue to experience Canadian hospitality and a chance to relax with friends. 

In 2008 I first met Gilbert Kiptoo. It was at the STWM where he had just run a cool 2 hrs 12 minute race. The CES team were standing at the finish line waving the Kenyan flag, encouraging Kenya’s finest runners as they crossed the finish line. That year there were six Kenyans in the top ten! Despite the huge crowd, we somehow connected, greeting him with a “karibu sana…habari yako?” Since then we have become good friends. As CES Sports Ambassador, Gilbert has mentored and trained some of our students in Kenya. He helped to organize the 2013 Kenya Peace Run, a tri-marathon 140 Km run from Kericho to Kakamega. This was a first ever world athletic event with 26 elite male and female athletes running for peace.

Growing up in Kisii, western Kenya, Thomas Omwenga began to win major races from 1,500m to 10,000m. In 2010 he won the BMO Vancouver Marathon. It was the following year in Toronto that Gilbert introduced me to Thomas. I learned about his family back home and I promised to visit them. His daughter Mercy Nyakundi was suffering from spina bifida and was unable to get proper treatment at hospitals in Kenya. Meeting Mercy for the first time was a moment of truth. The richness of her smile, and the way she was able to cope with a debilitating challenge created such a tug in my heart. Surely we could do something for Mercy. A fundraising campaign, medical consultations between specialists in Canada and Kenya, and a promise from the Shriners Hospital in Montreal finally brought Mercy to Canada. Now living in Dundas Ontario, Thomas’ entire family has been reunited. Mercy is doing well, currently studying in Grade 11. 

For me the journey with Canada Running Series and the STWM has been more than a series of events, and much more than striving to finish a race. The option to raise funds for our charity in Kenya has over the past 14 years created 1,000 secondary school scholarships for needy, bright Kenyan youth. That in itself has created hundreds of friendships as Canadians have come together in a spirit of friendship and common purpose. The privilege of being part of something greater –– joining nearly 200 charities doing exceptional work in Canada and beyond, is something I will cherish.

For me personally, each of the estimated 87,500 steps I took was a challenge. In 2014 the CRS allowed Nordic Poles and I took full advantage of that for balance and mobility. I was disappointed the following year when my time was over the hour mark at 1:05:34. It was getting tougher. Recovery time was longer. 

Then in 2020, Covid-19 hit us all hard; it was the CRS once again responding to a new challenge. What a brilliant concept –– a virtual run, demanding both accuracy and verification of location, distance and timing. The decision to create a race that worked for everyone, by providing options to participate throughout an entire month, was perfect. 

And so my story ends in Copeland Forest, where there are hundreds of kilometres of trails to choose from. It’s a sunny day in late October 2021, with maple, larch and oak leaves falling. A few struggle in the soft breeze, determined to hang on just a little longer. Linda and I kick the leaves, watching for hidden roots that could easily cause a tumble. Nordic poles for support, we’re on an uneven path leading deep into the woods, past a small lake, over several streams. Colours and sounds delight us. We’ve walked this path many times –– but today it’s for the “Orphan Kids of Kakamega.” 

I keep thinking, “is this the end of the line?” Medical advice tells me it’s “time to hang up your skates.” My mind assures me that Post Polio Syndrome is for real and I must guard against extreme fatigue. My heart says something else. It’s the runner’s creed, “so be it, until victory is mine and nothing remains…but peace.” I am at peace; and just maybe, in my next life I shall return as a marathon runner.

Life changes –– memories remain. Gone are the days we walked and ran with thousands more along the Lakeshore Blvd and the Gardiner Expressway. The cheering crowds, thousands of volunteers, the flags and banners waving are no longer. Watching those gifted athletes battling against the two hour dream threshold, unforgettable. Yet, the stories and miracles that have emerged in both Kenya and Canada carry on. The superb work and leadership of Alan Brookes, Anh Vuong-Phillpotts and the entire CRS Team describe how a dream can grow and become “something of great worth.”

But what it all comes down to in the end is most aptly understood by the African proverb: “If you want to run fast, run alone –– if you want to run far, run together.” And yes, we have done it together! 

October 31, 2021

Michael Frederiksen

CES Canada

STWM Charity Challenge (2008-21)

Money Does Nor Grow On Trees

"As a young boy I remember asking my father for five dollars to buy a baseball glove. “Everyone has one but me,” I said, hoping to pull a heart string or two. He replied in Danish –– “penge faller ikke fra himlen!” Money does not fall from the sky or as others have said, “does not grow on trees.” Clearly that day I was out of luck."

During the past two decades I have had the privilege of being involved with a Canadian charity that provides access to education for orphaned youth living in Kenya. There is a notion in many developing countries including Kenya, that people from the west have unlimited access to money; and, that those funds should be freely shared. Few really understand or appreciate the sacrifices people have made over the years to create as in the case of CES in Kenya, scholarships and access to education. The helping hand is too often taken for granted.

There is no expectation that our outreach be rewarded with gratitude. When faced with the enormous inequities of human rights and justice for all, we simply respond to do what we can. That said, there is still a small part of the human psyche that begs a certain respect and understanding of how that help comes about. Good things do not come about as a matter of course or ‘fall from the sky’. It takes personal sacrifice with great love.

As I consider our work in western Kenya, some examples come to mind. But before I speak of people and their willingness to raise funds for a good cause, there is a principle that connects them all –– ‘Volunteerism’. It’s the practice of giving one’s time, talent, energy, and skills to a cause without being paid for it. People see a need, identify with it and do something about it. 

Volunteerism is marked by a desire to build human relationships, to participate in other people’s lives and fundamentally to give life meaning. Singly sometimes, but mostly in groups, volunteers are motivated by values of justice and equality. Volunteers with Community Education Services (CES) Canada believe they can help to reduce poverty and improve basic health and education for needy young people.

Since 2005 –– volunteers have made possible 3500 secondary and post-secondary education scholarships in 45 schools and 12 universities, created numerous school infrastructure projects, and promoted a variety of community health outreach programs. They have given their time, their funds and have sacrificed personal pursuits. The following people are examples of what a volunteer does best –– ‘give from the heart’.

Scenario A - Lynn Zolinski - Volunteer Canada

*3500 apple and strawberry pies baked in her kitchen and sold over a period of three years. Ingredients paid for by volunteer. Time to produce and sell to public freely given. Total profit $20,000 - 4 classrooms built for Musaga SS. Officially dedicated the school in 2013.

Scenario B - Yu Nakajima - Volunteer Japan

*young person mid 20’s with interest in developing countries, particularly Kenya. Googles to find CES Canada and asks to become a volunteer. Invited to Canada for cultural training and travels in 2012 to Kenya to visit schools. Returns home to establish a CES Kenya chapter raising funds for education scholarships. Still actively involved.

Scenario C - Sandy Guthrie - Volunteer Canada

*travelled to Tanzania spending time with orphaned children. Discovered CES Canada and first visited Kenya in 2011 to establish the Canada Day Run. Result - 3000 athletic shoes awarded to CES students. Friendship with St Mary Goretti Girls HS Shikoti and part of a team to plan for and help build St Agnes Dorm. Still actively involved.

Scenario D - Tom Conant - Volunteer Canada

*Twice to Kenya spending nearly one year to establish friendships and community outreach. This included the Bishop Sulumeti Girls SS Library, CES Worms Project (50,000 children) and the CES Canada-Kenya 140 Km Run and Rally for Peace. Still actively involved.

Scenario E - Carl Friesen - Volunteer Canada

*Travelling to Kenya on two occasions to do research and interview 50 people, his contribution to the CES publication, ’Under the Acacia Tree’. In addition, Carl funds university scholarships and a number of farming initiatives. Still actively involved.

Scenario F - Malik Khaemba - Volunteer Kenya

*Retiring in 2005 as a Diplomat from his final posting in Canada, ‘Patron’ returns to Kenya to give back –– 16 years as CEO of CES Kenya. Without stipend or major fanfare, his work and legacy continue in the lives of countless Kenyan youth. Still actively involved.

Scenario G - Sharyn Poole - Volunteer Canada

First travelled to Kenya in 2009, helped create the groundwork to build our first well built at Eshitari SS in 2010. She returned to Kenya on five occasions, her first love and second home. Sharyn created special bonds of friendship with CES alumna and was known to many as “mum”. She died in Kakamega on June 26, 2013. Still actively involved “from a distance”.

Scenario H - Edwin Nyongesa Juma - Volunteer Kenya

Edwin volunteers significant time to coordinate the CES Kenya Alumni program. His leadership includes friendship outreach to the Divine Providence Orphanage, supervising events such as the Form 4 Leadership Conference, creating environment tree-planting projects, and assisting alumni to obtain support during Covid19. Together with other alumni, Edwin regularly travels to CES schools to mentor and educate students in areas of water management and hygiene.

Scenario H - Steven Hao - Volunteer USA

Steven has a huge interest in Kenya and has raised funds for education scholarships since he was 12 years of age. Now in High School he continues through his own business, ‘Red Cap Shop’, by selling specialized art, shirts and hats with African motifs and CES logos. He also grows a vegetable garden, with profits for the work of CES in Kenya. Still actively involved.

Scenario I - Winnifred Fisher - Volunteer Canada

Wynn is a pensioner, and at age 99 years our oldest ’fan’. A number of years ago she met with other seniors to create hand-knit cuddle dolls. These brought joy to hundreds of orphaned children in Kenya. She has sponsored many CES students and is a faithful participant in our annual Christmas fundraisers for backpacks, solar lamps, anti-malaria nets, health-kits and PAD resources. Still actively involved.

Scenario J - Wetende Musli - Volunteer Kenya

CES Kenya Alumnus Busuku Musli has been a strong supporter of our work in Community Health. Through his medical practice he has volunteered hundreds of hours to enable CES in Vision and Jiggers outreach programs. He continues to serve through the Uziwa Clinic at Bushiri. 

Money does not fall from the sky…it is a limited resource and not easily obtained. As one wise mother said to her child, “if money grew on trees, someone else would own the orchard."

GRATITUDE - More than a Feeling

 GRATITUDE

Gratitude like faith, is that intangible human quality that views life from a different perspective. Faith believes in a reality not currently seen, while gratitude counts for good all that has happened both past and present. Gratitude flies in the face of English philosopher Thomas Hobbes, who characterized human life as “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short.” It finds solace in seeing the world as a place of beauty, full of new opportunities to thrive.

To deny that life is tough, often disappointing and full of setbacks is unrealistic. The entire world is suffering. Peoples and nations are under attack.  A global pandemic is affecting 8 billion people, and it is clear that the physical and mental health of many are affected. No amount of positive or wishful thinking will turn this around. 

Grateful is the feeling a person gets when something good has happened, or conversely, when something bad has not happened. The usual response to being grateful is “thank you.” On the other hand, gratitude is not dependent on any outcome or desired result. Gratitude says, “I am alive –– that’s all that matters.” 

Gratitude is a state of being, and being grateful or thankful is an up-beat response to what life offers us. Gratitude can change our lives in a positive way. It can be an antidote to depression and loneliness. It can change our way of thinking and often will serve to promote good health. Gratitude looks at the glass as being half full; it does not depend on feelings that change with time and circumstance. 

As we continue to search for meaning in life, we sometimes discover good emerging from tragedy. We also find within ourselves a greater appreciation of our relationship with others, and an increased compassion for those who have struggled in similar ways. Some would define this as spiritual development, while others see it as becoming more human. Both views express a process of inner healing, a heightened awareness of us being grateful.

It is easy to be grateful when good things happen. It is much more difficult to experience gratitude when life brings us ‘lemons’. It all comes down to attitude. Are we willing to make lemonade out of the sour juice of life? When we wake up in the morning are we content to say, “thank God, I am alive today?” By doing so, we affirm that being grateful is a choice that overrides our current circumstance.

Gratefulness responds to life’s darkest moments. Corrie ten Boom and her family helped 800 Jewish people in Netherlands to escape from the Nazis in WWII by hiding them in her home. In 1944, she and her family were betrayed and sent to Ravensbrück concentration camp. Even in her worst moments she believed there was a reason for it all. “This is what the past is for! Every experience God gives us, every person He puts in our lives, is the perfect preparation for the future that only He can see.” (The Hiding Place).

How it is that people under extreme duress can come to a point where they appreciate life even more. Living through conflict and war, or battling a debilitating disease brings about a resilience that puts life in a different perspective. When each new day is a gift to be treasured, it is being grateful that brings us joy –– not the other way around.

My mother has cultivated gratitude her whole life. As a young woman, Marianne left Europe after WWII to begin a new life in Canada. Within five years she was struck down with polio, and she has suffered now for the past 65 years. I have seen her in pain, and at the same time singing a hymn. I have watched her raise six children with two limbs paralyzed. She cooked, cleaned, drove her kids here and there, and found ways to love and care for us all. To create a home for her family has been one of the greatest feats of inner courage and strength that I have ever witnessed in my lifetime. When asked, “how are you doing Mor?” the answer is always in Danish, “strålende”. And that means … like sunshine, brilliant! 

Mor’s overall life has been one of gratefulness. It was her way to approach life through challenging circumstances. She showed us how to be grateful even in times of suffering. She had inner resources, like her faith in God that she constantly drew upon. She was grateful for her family, and she put all her energies into those of us who at the time could not even appreciate what she was going through. I believe it was that gratitude and spiritual energy that guarded her against depression and anxiety. Giving for her was a way of life –– and she gave all she had. It was her way of showing gratitude. She is a ‘light on top of the hill’, an inspiration to us all.

In a recent article in The Atlantic, Scott Barry Kaufman writes about the positive power of gratitude. He cites an ‘Existential Gratitude List’ created by psychologist Paul Wong, that  measures the tendency people have to feel grateful. He states that our attitude towards pain and challenge in life determines our mental and emotional state of being. This list includes such statements as:

• I am grateful for my life even in times of suffering;
• I am grateful for the people in my life, even for those who have caused me much pain;
• I am grateful that I have something to live for, even though life has been hard for me;
• I am grateful that every crisis represents an opportunity for personal growth. 

How do we deal with residual feelings of regret? Will that process include things that have happened to us through no fault of our own? Or is it a rebuke to our conscience for things we could have changed, but chose not to at the time? Indeed, our lives could be described as a litany of regrets. The reality is we cannot erase the past or our feelings about these events. However by living gratefully in the present, we can find a way to diminish the impact of those regrets. 

Living gratefully means being grateful for the gift of life. To treasure what we have now, does not mean we accept all that is hurtful or negative in our lives. It just gives us an opportunity to create change in light of the challenges we face. Gratefulness not only changes our lives, it also promotes within us the qualities of compassion, kindness, forgiveness, and empathy. It leads us to care about the well-being of others and to impact our world in ways we never thought possible. 

The environmentalist can do something to care for the environment. The business person can strive to create opportunities for others to create wealth. Civil servants involved in politics can lead, inspire, and create rules for living that will better the society. Aid workers can reach out in personal ways through the humanitarian organizations they support. Teachers, doctors, nurses, and front-line workers who sacrifice their own well-being during the current Covid19 pandemic –– their extraordinary example of courage and commitment is demonstrated daily. We can all do something to care for our world. Each in our own way using the skills, interests and talents we possess, can contribute towards the greater good. It all begins and ends with being grateful. 

M Frederiksen

30/08/2021