#SIM2011 She Inspires Me 2011 - dermaglow She Inspires Me 2011

I have the most generous and fun loving sister ever. My mom died when I was 1 ½ years of age so my 15 year old sister quit school and with Grandmother’s help cared for me and my brother, also helping with the many chores of life on Tancook Island, a traditional fishing community.

She is a cancer survivor, raised five children, having lost her husband to lung cancer. With no profession other than wife and mother she worked very hard at a fish plant travelling by boat early each day not returning home until evening. Having then to make meals and look after her family. This job allowed money for children’s university.

A very talented folk artist, she painted scenes on canvas and rocks for a city craft shop to supplement her income not receiving a fraction of their worth. She is very active, walking a great distance every day to the post office and always willing to help out in the community. Living on a small island with no grocery store is not an easy life for a person 80 years of age. Through the years she always had a vegetable garden and still has a small one that she plants and looks after herself. There are gooseberry, blueberry and currant bushes and lots of flowers in the garden. Making berry wine is one of her many talents along with the hooking and braiding of rugs. An early riser she does not stop from morning until night. “She is my inspiration.”