After she lost the love of her life, Anna Fentie found life hard to love. “I was down and out,” Anna said after caressing a photo of her late husband and admitting she was feeling lonely. While she kept busy inside — with her crocheting and point painting — it took a while before Anna considered all the possibilities outside. “I wanted to enjoy what years I have left,” the 82-year-old said, adding that she didn’t want to sit on the “pity pot.” So, during one of her daily walks, Anna felt inspired to do what she hadn’t done in decades. Using her cane to knock pink blossoms off a tree, Anna laughed as the flowers showered down on her. “Isn’t that fun?! It’s just like being a kid!” she said. Which brings us to the teddy bear she’s been holding, one of a few stuffed animals Anna found at a thrift store. “I fell in love with them,” Anna said, smiling. “And I thought, if I can fall in love with them so can the children.” After buying a bunch of bears, Anna brought some to her favourite coffee shop, where she asked a bus driver she’d befriended if he could give them to young passengers who may need a friend. “I thought it was a beautiful idea,” J.D. the bus driver said. So, he placed the pair of plushies on the dashboard of his bus, before giving the first bear to a girl with her dad. “They were full of gratitudeand took it with a warm heart,” J.D. recalled. The second bear had the word ‘mom’ written on it, and J.D. asked a group of teenagers if anyone had a mother who might appreciate it. “One boy raised his hand and said, ‘Mine does!’,” J.D. said. “And all the other kids pointed at him.” His mom could use the cuddle because she was recovering in the hospital. J.D. was inspired by the ripple effect of Anna’s kindness spreading to so many people. “Always treat people with empathy, kindness, and respect,” he said. Anna was so elated to hear how her bears had been received, she bought more to give away. “If you do something for somebody else, which makes you feel good, your loneliness kind of goes out the back door,” Anna said. And now, unlike the trees that only shower flowers on her in the spring, Anna has discovered how joy can bloom all year round. “Just live a plain life, be the best to other people,” she explained. “The most important thing in your life is to love people.”
