Canyon Lake people never cease to amaze me

BY Dawn Rankins

I wanted to first thank you for all the amazing feedback I’m receiving regarding this column, Canyon Lake Life. I love writing and I’m finding a new passion for writing this column all about Canyon Lake, a place we all call home.

One of my favorite things about writing this column became more apparent to me tonight when I was writing articles for submission for this week‘s Friday Flyer.

Sophia Oliva

I was blessed to be able to talk to the mom of a 9-year-old little girl who lives here in Canyon Lake. The girl‘s name is Sophia Oliva. Amanda Oliva, Sophia’s mom, shared a little piece of her story and how Amanda had lost her dad a couple of years ago and how her children were close to him. The children saw up close what cancer did to their papa and experienced the loss of someone they loved dearly.

Sophia has a heart of gold. It was her birthday and she wanted to donate some of her gift cash to the Lemonade Stand Fundraiser. For this little girl to want to donate her own birthday money speaks volumes to the kind of caring and compassionate child she truly is. My heart was truly touched by simply talking to her mom and hearing about Sophia.

Through my updates on young Juliana Garcia’s Lemonade Stand Fundraiser, I have had the privilege of learning more about Juliana’s battle with cancer and all I can say is, it’s a small world.

Juliana was battling her cancer at the same time the 21-month-old daughter of a friend of mine had the same Wilms cancer. Cara Garcia knows my friend from years ago and has even had her to her home.

While talking with Cara, I was able to share a little bit about myself and how proud of a mom I am. This is what’s so amazing about Canyon Lake. More times than not, we see ourselves in the stories of others.

My two boys were hands on when my friend’s little girl was battling cancer, to the point of sitting for hours with her, holding her while she underwent her chemotherapy so mom could tend to her newborn baby.

My boys even got on board to do the CHOC Walk and help in raising money for Children’s Hospital of Orange County. I share this with you, not to brag, but to let you know how proud it made me to be the mom of two very loving and compassionate sons, who were teenagers at the time.

While talking with Amanda tonight, it brought back those memories of seeing the compassion in my children.

I hear stories about kids here in the lake who do amazing things. Juliana and Sophia are examples of that. I hope on my journey of being your Friday Flyer reporter, you reach out to me and tell me your stories so I can share them with the community, because I know there’s plenty to be told.

During my conversation with Amanda, I told her that I wish high schools would include in their 100 hours of community service they require to graduate, a requirement that a few of those hours would be spent volunteering on a children’s cancer ward or something similar.

I say this because, I watched a change in my boys after they spent so much time on the cancer ward of Children’s Hospital. It opened their worlds to compassion on levels I never knew existed.

I was afraid at first to have them see children sick like that, but they saw past the sickness. They learned to appreciate the smaller things in life, like reading a book to a child instead of playing countless hours of video games.

When we would go to Target, instead of wanting to buy something for themselves, they wanted to get a little something to cheer the kids up at the hospital.

Our children, I believe, are born to want to help others. I wonder sometimes if we push them away, not only to protect them, but to maybe not have to take the time to help them. This is especially true when they are little.

As you moms know, the little ones want to help fold the clothes, for example. And gosh, isn’t it true that when they turn their little backs, we have to refold all their hard work. So sometimes we discourage the folding. Are we guilty sometimes of robbing them of their giving spirit? It’s easy to do sometimes.

I love hearing how young boys who are down at Holiday Harbor jump in the lake and offer help to people new to launching their boats. They don’t even think twice about it.

I know there are countless stories of our young people going above and beyond to help others. Canyon Lake is a small city with a multitude of youths who have hearts of gold, just like Sophia who did something so selfless in order to make a difference in another child’s life.

Our kids here in Canyon Lake are amazing and I am grateful to be able to write their stories. I am thankful to those whose stories I’ve been entrusted with.

Canyon Lake life can‘t get any better than this.