My three lives of Guiding: Now That I'm Really An Adult

When I got back from my jaunt through the Pacific, I was ready to face life. I still didn't know what I wanted to do, but I knew that I was ready. Looking back, I think I left Pax Lodge at the right time. I was still thrilled to be there, I wasn't homesick, and I hadn't reached the end of my Pax Lodge rope, so I left with positive memories.

I found a job fairly quickly and moved to Vancouver. I actually got the job because of my Guiding involvement. There was a choice between two candidates and they chose me because one of the women doing the hiring had previously been involved in Guiding.

I settled into my job and my new and stumbled back into Guiding. Before I knew what had happened, I was a District International Adviser. I loved it! A few years passed and the current Area Adviser was done her term...and I stepped in. I loved it even more. It was a big job, but it was so worth it! I did it for just over three years before a tumble down the stairs forced me to pull back from a lot of the things I did.

But not before I realized what a strong and wonderful community I had surrounding me. When I was sick with some unknown ailment for a long period of time, my Guiding friends checked in with me on a regular basis. There were offers of food, and company...both most appreciated. Guiding women were at my house with more food and offers of company when I took my tumble down the stairs. They were there to support me in anyway they could and I was so grateful for them. They babysat me when I still needed someone at the house with me and Alex had to work and my mom had to go home to her real life. They brought food so we wouldn't have to cook. They brought books for me to read. They had hugs for Alex. They were wonderful.

The same ladies were at my wedding shower. They gave us beautiful and generous gifts to celebrate our special day. One of them was even at the wedding as our coordinator and she helped make our day lovely! At my wedding, my Guiding friends from age seven and up got to meet each other - there were Guiding ladies from Kelowna, from Vancouver and from far away England at the wedding....

They showed up with food, gifts, and offered to hold my kid so I could nap or shower or go for a walk. They were wonderful to me when I needed it and I hope (well, I hope only good things happen to them) that I can return the favour!

Less than a year after my tumble, I married Alex. Alex who I never would have met if it wasn't for Guiding.


Sometime after I came back to Vancouver I met Stacey. I met Stacey because she was in Guides with Sunita and I met Sunita because we went to Guide camp together. Stacey knew Alex's friend and the two of them engineered a meeting for us.


And look where we are today!

[we so need to take a family picture in the worst way...I think it's been almost a year...there's lots of J with one parent and none with both]

And that's why, if you ask me what I'm doing this weekend, I might just answer, going to a Guide meeting even though I'm not ten anymore...And if I'm not going to a Guiding event or meeting, maybe I'll be hanging out with some of my Guiding friends (although they're people I really just refer to as friends these days)

Thank you Guiding for enriching my life, giving me all kinds of wonderful opportunities and life experiences, for introducing me to so many of the people I consider good friends, for introducing me to my husband, and for letting me be me through it all!

Do you have a hobby or an organization or a person who has affected your life?