Happy Holidays!

I wanted to wish everyone and their families happy holidays.  Its a precious time of year.  A time for reflecting and expressing gratitude. A time for doing for others.  This year I am making a donation in honour of the families that I serve and help, to an organization near and dear to my heart.  You see, 10 years ago, I helped open a nursery school called The North Toronto Early Years Centre in Toronto with the owner Connie Runions.   Its a thriving community of Adlerian parents and teachers with two locations now and a waiting list.

One of the original and long standing teachers was our lovely Lily Marcos.  If your child had Lily as a teacher, you know just how wonderous a person she is. Well, Lily met, fell in love and married the also lovely Ali Birra.  While that name may not mean much here in North America, in his native Ethiopia he is pop star, an African Bono of sorts.   Lily followed her love and heart to Ethiopia where she and Ali have started a school and education fund.  Every year the North Toronto Early Years Centre holds a fundraising talk (with me as the speaker) and sends the money raised that evening to their organization.  Last year, the very quiet and unassuming Ali was visiting in Canada even he even opened my talk by playing piano.  He asked not to be identified at the time – but I was grinning ear to ear knowing we were be entertained by this legend.

This year, in November I spoke again and the fund were sent to Lily and Ali who used the money to buy a water tank for the school.  Here is a picture of the children in front of the water tank with a thank you  card.  The money I am donating this Christmas ( in all of your names) will go to actually buying water for the tank.   If you feel inspired to help and would like make a donation too – here is their site.

Wishing you all the best this holiday season – from my family to yours!  ~ Alyson