The Things I Know For Sure.....

Do you ever have those Oprah moments? You know...the 'aha' moments in life where something wakes up in your brain and you realize something for the greater good?

I had one of those on friday.

I was standing in the Smithers Civic Centre, watching my girls skate and soaking up all the 'small-town-ness' possible when I realized how much I LOVE our community.

I use the word community because that is what Smithers is to me. It's everything cliche that you could imagine about a small town....from big trucks with truck nuts to lululemon wearing pilates instructors....curling club to Boston Pizza...and the list goes on. It's having more than half the population show up to a fall fair parade just to see the crazy out of shape belly dancers strut their stuff and throw out bazooka joe gum to the crowd....

And I LOVE IT.

I was talking to a lady I quasi-know because Delaney and her son were born the same year and have been in the same class off and on for the last 6 years. She had her two sons there and was leaving to go pick her husband up at the airport so I offered to keep watch over the boys just in case. She thanked me and went to tell the boys if they needed anything just ask 'Delaney's Mom'...then she left. She left her most prized possessions in the hands of someone she doesn't really know....and that's when it dawned on me. This little town is a community. We watch after one anothers children. We help each other out. We have TIME for conversations because we don't have to spend half our lives driving places....I mean, this lady was back in half an hour from the airport and she even had time to run her hubby home! We stood at the back near the concession and let the smell of pizza pops waft by our noses while we watched our kids skate around and around....

And it was good.

So small town good.