We know who holds the future

Special dates are important markers as we measure our life and progress.

Fifty-five years ago this week, my wife Christine (nee Lobel of Scarth, Manitoba) and I, along with our eight month old son moved out of Winnipeg for the second time in a year. I was raised on a farm north-west of Holland, Manitoba and Christine on a farm at Scarth, just south of Virden. We met, through mutual friends in Winnipeg, I guess that’s a common story for many people. 

So we attended university, worked at summer and part-time jobs, managed the university newspaper, got married and had a baby. By graduation time in the Spring of 1970, there were a few odd jobs in Winnipeg before moving out to western Manitoba working at a couple of jobs and then back to Winnipeg for a research job at University of Manitoba. In early January,1971, I started as Assistant Ag-rep in Neepawa, hence the second move out of Winnipeg in one year.

A lot of water has flowed down the Whitemud, Little Saskatchewan and the Assiniboine rivers in those 55 years.

Our family has grown to two sons, a daughter-in-law, four grandchildren, two grandsons-in-law and four great grandsons. On the business, community and politics side, our life has included over nine years as an Ag-rep with the Department of Agriculture, several years farming and 20 years of auctioneering. It has also included a few elections, two terms as mayor of Neepawa and now nearly 40 years of accumulated newspaper work. I chuckle inside when I see the look on peoples’ faces when I say my first publication was in 1966. By the way, that was 60 years ago.

Fifty-five years is a long time. We have made 1,000s of friends, acquaintances and customers across Manitoba, Canada and some into the United States. We have tried our best to serve wherever we can, be it in our towns, our businesses and churches. 

We are thankful for all the people we have met, even the few who aren’t sure about whether they like us or not.

This week is also the second anniversary of Christine’s very serious cancer surgery . Both Christine and I have had the privilege of receiving very good health care and especially with Christine, it was severe and life threatening. Over the years, the medical system has either improved or saved our lives on a few occasions. I don’t want to miss anyone or draw unwanted attention to them, but I would be happy to state tribute privately about some amazing medical people to anyone.

So as we launch into a New Year, we don’t know what the future will bring, in much the same we didn’t know what the future would hold in January 1971. Actually there is one major difference now from 1971 and that is we know that God holds our tomorrow. We may have known that somewhat in 1971 but we know it with assurance in 2026.

My God bless you and yours!

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this column are the writer’s personal views and are not to be taken as being the view of the newspaper staff.