This week has seen an abundance of fun, from our CFL 35th Birthday celebrations to Pancake Tuesday. It has been the first time that we have been able to be back together having fun and experiencing something of the CFL family for a long time. We have missed these precious times to just have fun with folks!
The reality is that for many of those who are supported through Caring For Life, laughter doesn’t happen often, so it cannot be understated the importance that these moments hold. We use these opportunities to try, through our meagre attempts, to bring a bit of joy and a bit of laughter into their lives. We try to lift folks, even just for a moment, out of the dire situations that they might be experiencing. To remind them that they are loved and an integral part of our family here. We try to create happy memories and laughter which will be retold time and time again.
One of the gents who attended the 35th Birthday Celebrations commented after that this was the first time that he had really laughed in ages. He talked about how even after the event he found himself laughing to himself about the silly dances that he witnessed and the fun he had.
Our 35th Birthday Celebrations saw a range of activities on offer. Some opted for the more quiet activity of watching a movie together whilst others braved the noise and commotion of the 35th Birthday quiz. The quiz had numerous rounds all focused on the year 1987 (the year CFL started!). We had “Name that show”, Sport in 1987, Guess how much it cost and many more rounds of fun. Perhaps the favourite round of all was the quick fire… What is happening now at CFL? In this round we included questions from across each project area. For example, how many chickens do we currently have? It was wonderful to see folks who attend those projects proudly and confidently answer for their team.
This was followed by another day of silly fun with our annual Pancake Tossing Competition. We saw pancakes being smashed, new skills being found all whilst being unable to count the pancake tosses due to the roars of laughter.
In the midst of housing issues and awaiting benefit decisions, we are thankful that we have opportunities to bring fun and to create positive lasting memories. Above all, we are thankful to the Lord for the past 35 years; for each soul who has found a family here at Caring For Life, for each person who has laughed and for each person who has heard about the precious love of our Saviour.
Erin