La Conner Weekly News - Your independent hometown award-winning newspaper

One of the joys of owning a small business is you become friends with the people you serve. The only sorrow is that COVID-19’s impact causes us to feel we are rearranging financial deck chairs on the Titanic. Handling the rising waters is easier some days than others.

Last Wednesday started with a fish. Swinomish elder Connie Allen and son Scott received the gift of a salmon and popped by the clinic bright and early to share it. From her minivan to my hand landed a great big fish.

Our clinic happily has hundreds of our Swinomish neighbors as patients allowing us to see firsthand how actively they care for others. So no surprise when Dan and Mona Cayou called later that day to make sure we were ok.

Being from Louisiana, I used a Southern saying that describes a tight budget and said, “we’re making ten meals out of one chicken.” Northwesterners Mona and Dan naturally don’t speak Southern. What their hearts heard then was interpreted as “oh my gosh, Jimmy and Olivia need food!”

Less than a minute later Dan texted “Wifey has a big heart. Please accept our care package. We are doing ok and we have to share – our grandparents’ teachings. Enjoy!” Dan called shortly afterward from our Dodge Valley driveway reporting they had dropped off food for us. This was an understatement. We arrived home to discover not just the makings for dinner that night, but boxes and boxes of food. Having friends, like Mona and Dan, who will drop everything and come to your immediate aid, is a treasure money cannot buy.

Thursday morning we paid their Swinomish traditions forward. Single mom Anita reported there was enough to feed her family for a month! Their favorite gift was a great big fish from the Cayous.

These COVID-19 dark financial waters won’t recede anytime soon. We are especially thankful our friends reminded us that only heartstrings matter. We are grateful to live in this beautiful valley filled with love.

Olivia Cornwell

Pleasant Ridge