When Stan accepted a job...
Illustration
Object:
When Stan accepted a job on the Canadian prairies, necessitating a move from California,
it felt like the end of the world to his wife, Alyssa. Who wanted to move to a part of the
continent where the temperature dropped to -40º C, where rain was scarce, trees didn't
grow, and wind blew constantly? Alyssa's mother comforted her daughter with words
similar to Jeremiah's advice to the Babylonian exiles. "This will be your home. Settle in.
Make friends. Get a job. Volunteer in the community and church. It will make your stay
much more enjoyable." Alyssa took her mother's advice to heart. She made the new city
and country her home, and before she knew it, two children were born and raised,
retirement loomed, and grandchildren romped in her yard. Thirty-three years after she
arrived on the prairies, Alyssa can't imagine living anywhere else.
