Kindness at the Y

Many of you no doubt take advantage of the McArthur Family YMCA here in Fernandina Beach. It's a great facility with state-of-the-art equipment, a heated pool, indoor gym, and many classes tailored to the needs of community members.

I am one of those members. When I started going to the Y seven years ago, I was a relatively spry, flexible 87-year-old woman. I could walk and kneel and bend with the best of them. Now is a different story. Walking is a challenge, and so I use a cane. And forget about kneeling and getting down on the floor! I have a hard time with the word on my car placard: "handicapped." But my mind still works reasonably well, and I am determined to move and exercise for as long as I am able. So I still go to the Y.

As I mentioned, the Y is a terrific facility and has many wonderful activities. It also has amazing people, which is what makes it so special. My fellow classmates are always there for me. When I walk in the door, Mary gets me a chair. And if Mary isn't there, Jim helps me out. In order to sign up for the next class, you need to walk to the front desk. That's a struggle for me, and so Lera or Magda signs me up. At the end of class, my chair is put away by a classmate — and I never have to ask. One day, my water bottle had leaked. Three people cleaned up the water, and one refilled my bottle.

And then there is Darlene, a favorite instructor. Most of the people in the class are a bit younger than me - probably by 30 years! Darlene makes us work, but she is considerate of the special needs that some of us have. She encourages me to hold on to the chair for support and modify my exercises to fit my abilities - and she says it in a way that makes me feel comfortable and not at all self-conscious.

You may think that the actions I've described here are small things. But they aren't small to me. The kindness shown to me by the folks at the Y makes me feel like I belong there. I'm 94, and I'm thrilled that I can still take part in the exercise that I enjoy.

Joan Hawthorne has lived on Amelia Island for seven years in a house that her daughter Alisa designed for her comfort. It is two small houses joined together by a closed-in breezeway. Another act of kindness! Joan knits hats, mitts and ear warmers for the homeless which are given out at Christmastime. She volunteers with the Auxiliary at Baptist Hospital every Friday afternoon.

 Others in the community are invited to share their stories of kindness and compassion. If you have a story you'd like to share here in the Fernandina Observer - about a neighbor or friend or business that showed you kindness - please contact Peggie Weeks at pegweeks@gmail.com