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Hooked on Life

Nick loves his little corner of the world. From the two corner windows he is able to look out into the back yard. The windows offer natural light, which is important because it is in this corner that Nick creates beautiful hooked-rug wall hangings.

“I’ve been doing this for a long time,” he says. “I really enjoy it.”

Nick is in his seventies and is an active person. His faith is important to him and he does his devotions daily, reading his Bible and praying. He attends Clearbrook MB Church in Abbotsford. He enjoys coffee time with his friends. To stay fit, Nick rides the stationary bike at the gym and he enjoys watching the Senior Curling Club practice – sometimes he even joins them on the ice. He writes letters on his old-fashioned, manual Speedwriter typewriter. He has a quirky sense of humour and loves to tell corny jokes. But what Nick truly loves to do, is work with his hands. Karin, who manages the home where he lives, says that even though it takes a long time for Nick to complete a project, he often talks about the therapeutic, satisfying nature of his work.

“His typing and his rug hooking both speak of his incredible perseverance and patience as well as the beautiful outcome when you set your mind to doing something,” she says.

The large framed rug in Nick’s room took him almost 9 years to complete

One of his rugs hangs as a framed piece of art in Nick’s room. It is vibrant and cheerful, much like Nick himself. Karin says that when he was working on it, the staff all thought that it was just a random, kaleidoscope of colours.

“We thought there must be a theme but we couldn’t see it as he was working on it,” she explains. “But once it was hung on the wall, we were amazed to see the sky, the river, the mountains, and the forest. The beautiful scene was there all along.”

Karin believes that Nick never lost sight of the whole as he painstakingly worked on the piece day in and day out. They estimate that it took him nearly 9 years to complete.

Nick’s work in progress

As he works on his rugs, he chats about his life and his family. He still remembers his parents fondly and talks about his love for them.

“My dad lived to be more than 90,” he remembers. “I loved my dad. I wanted to move into the senior’s home with him but that wasn’t possible.”

Instead, Nick lives in a home facilitated by Communitas Supportive Care Society. He shares the home with Connie, Patty and Barb. This small community of people living with diverse abilities is a happy home. Staff and volunteers ensure that each one has opportunities to live a rich and abundant life. Nick is grateful for this and the staff who care for him.

“I really love it here,” he says.

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