The Life of Shelagh Gordon

http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1146928--shelagh-was-here-an-ordinary-magical-life

Shelagh Gordon, 55, died in the middle of February from an aneurism. Reporters from the Toronto Star interviewed more than 100 of her friends and family members after the funeral to piece together her seemingly ordinary life.

The final piece, published on March 16, was amazing. It spoke of the minute details of her life that so many can relate to. Simple things, like her love of tea, made her story compelling and relatable.

At every funeral, people always speak of how kind and wonderful the person was. It seems rather cliche, but for Shelagh, her kindness was different. She was as kind to her family as she was to strangers, and that sets her apart from the rest of the world.

Her life story, scrutinized by Star reporters, is worth sharing. Her life, shared in print, undoubtedly makes readers think of their own purpose in life, and of their priorities. Shelagh, struggling with bills and work stress like most of us, still had the heart to invite people over for dinner, send them chocolates on Valentine's day, and organize happy get-togethers with anyone and everyone.

The article never writes about how hard she worked, or how successful she was, or how much she travelled the world. Her simple, ordinary life was beautiful by itself. It shows that anybody can be worthy, special, appreciated, and kind. You don't have to be a millionaire to impact so many people. You don't have to be a celebrity. You don't have to be anything but yourself.

Her story reminds people to share themselves with everybody and to appreciate every person that you make contact with in a day, whether it's a barista or your spouse.

A part in the article said that life isn't meant for weekends. What a strong message. Relax, love, have fun, and surround yourself with people as often as you can. Shelagh's death was sudden and unpredictable, and she likely had no regrets. Her life was full. She didn't have the fancy clothes, the perfect partner, the perfect children, or a job she loved. But with everything she did have, she was grateful for. Her seemingly incomplete and ordinary life was actually perfect.

Shelagh's story is inspiring. Be kinder, love more, be more grateful, appreciate every small thing, smile at everyone, help as much as you can. We think we're doing everything we can, but after reading that article, I saw how much better people can be.

No More Oxy

OxyContin is being removed from pharmacy shelves across Canada. At first glance, this looks like a good plan because many people abuse the painkiller. Reading more into it, though, there will be a health crisis for people who use this drug.

When the drug is removed, users will have to resort to a different painkiller. Addicts will go into withdrawal, but there is no plan yet to assist these people. Residents in Northern Ontario will especially be affected because people in those remote communities have a higher rate of addiction.

The Nishawbe Aski Nation (NAN) represents 49 First Nation communities in the Northern Ontario region. More than half of the NAN people have OxyContin addictions, according to Grand Chief Stan Beardy.

I was in a Drug and Alcohol Counselling program last year where one class was fully dedicated to the addiction problems amongst Aboriginals. Because so many are addicted to this painkiller - and other drugs - the withdrawal symptoms will likely go unnoticed. Their health care system is not sufficient enough to handle what they will go through once the drugs are pulled. This can mean greater use of illegal drugs, aggression between frustrated residents experiencing withdrawal, and continued pain for those who actually use them as painkillers. Resorting to other drugs to relieve pain, especially heroin, can result in spreading diseases from using needles. The First Nations communities should be the first concern for the Ontario Ministry of Health.

For the rest of Canadians, we know our health care system will fill in the gap. OxyContin can be replaced with other strong painkillers, and withdrawal symptoms can be treated with a visit to a doctor. However, there is the possibility of illegal production and trafficking of the drug. Crime rates may increase because many people may not be able to get another type of painkiller. If someone is caught with OxyContin, will there be charges involved? And what will happen to all the OxyContin that has already been produced?

There need to be solutions for the health and crime problems that will most definitely arise once this drug is pulled.