Everyone has unique experiences in life. Each person has a story to tell and words of wisdom that can be shared with others. With that in mind, we’d like to introduce you to some of the wonderful people who live here at CHCC. Here is a recent resident spotlight Q&A session we did with Margy L.
Have you lived in other places besides Lynden?
Yes. I was born in Seattle but lived in Everson beginning in 1980, when we bought a 100-year-old farm. We had visited friends for years who lived on a dairy farm, so I always loved coming up here. My folks thought it would be too quiet for me, but I loved it.
What was your first job?
My first job was in a candy factory.
What other types of work did you do before retiring?
I studied law enforcement and worked for a city police department just north of Seattle. I did a number of other small jobs but enjoyed keeping up with what was happening in crime and with the Border Patrol’s drug enforcement work at the border.
I also took a couple of years of training to be a mentor and foster parent to high-risk children who came from abusive situations. I worked with a program for children who had difficult backgrounds and mental health challenges.
I think everyone should be prepared for an emergency. After doing foster care, I took a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) course through the sheriff’s office. The training focused on creating teams and establishing a leadership structure so community members could help one another when a disaster occurred. It was a very intense course that included Search and Rescue, first aid, self-defense, coordinating helicopter landings and more.
What was your favorite thing about the work you did?
On the farm, I loved living garden to table. We would grow all our own food, butcher our meat, barter for other goods and live close to the land. We had a Jersey cow that could be milked without restraining her. I loved nature, the smells and the lifestyle. We canned and froze our food, had a root cellar and even dried our food using screens and light bulbs.
I also enjoyed working with the kids who came to our home. They saw the world in a different way. It was rewarding to give them consistency, show them care, teach them to make good choices and help them find a way to be safe in the world they lived in. It was good to see them flourish.
What is one thing that you have been most proud of in your life?
My three girls. They have become beautiful women, wives and mothers and have stable families. They love the Lord and are modeling that for my grandchildren!
What is the hardest thing that you’ve lived through, and how did you get through it?
God helped us through a very difficult family time. God gave us the strength and faith to carry on and do well regardless. We learned the importance of mental health during that time.
What was your favorite decade to live in, and why?
The 1980s on the farm. It was a beautiful time of family life there.
Who is your favorite author or musician?
I don’t have a favorite, but I love to research and read nonfiction, history and archaeology. I also enjoy watching documentaries. The girls and I went overseas once with a group from church and spent three weeks touring and seeing all the things you read about in books! It was the most wonderful experience.
Do you have a favorite song, inspirational quote or Bible verse?
There are so many. The Bible is my inspiration.
What is one life lesson that you learned from your parents?
My parents were old school, but I always appreciated them showing me how to be honest and respectful.
What is one piece of advice that you would give a 16-year-old person?
Treat others as you would want to be treated. Love others and be caring toward others. That covers a lot of ground.
What is one thing most people don’t know about you, but you wish they did?
I had a favorite kitty who lived for 13 years. She was a “little person in a fur suit.” She would never come if you called her by name, but if I whistled, she would race to my side.
One time, my son-in-law was looking for her and I wasn’t home, so I whistled over the phone. He hooked the phone up to a karaoke machine for the speakers, and sure enough, that little kitty came home.
What is one thing that you like about living at CHCC?
I enjoy the people. They have wonderful staff here.