On the second-last weekend in May my friend Valdine Flaming hosted the MS Walk in Thompson, and I had the opportunity to help out for the day. Valdine has been a friend to me pretty much since I moved to Thompson, but before yesterday I think I took her and her friendship for granted.
During the speeches before the walk, Valdine took to the microphone because the other guest speaker wasn’t able to make it, and she shared the spoons story.
It’s a story about a friend not fully understanding what it’s like to have an illness and asking their friend to explain it to them. The one friend gave the other a handful of spoons. Each time you do something like brushing your teeth, or getting out of bed, a spoon is taken away. People with illness have to choose what they do in a day, because they can’t do everything. They need to decide if it’s more important to shower, or run errands. Everything takes a different kind of effort, which I don’t fully understand, or have never experienced.
While Valdine was speaking I cried. I cried because when I see Valdine I see a strong, independent, and genuine person that has dreams and goals, but not someone who has a limited number of spoons everyday, who has been living with MS for the past 10 years.
Valdine did such an amazing job organizing the event, and Thompson did an incredible job raising almost $7,000.
I know Valdine will be stepping to the side next year, and I truly hope someone steps up to the plate, and continues this great walk in Thompson, in honour of all the outstanding work Valdine has done with the MS community of Thompson.
