Mujeeb Jaihoon converses with Christine Long, the Mississauga-based painter and book collector, about culture and spirituality
Feb 21, 2023: On the final day of my Canada tour, I received the DM at 7am to come over to donate my books to the Little Neighborhood Library. Without a second thought I rushed to the venue, notwithstanding the gushing winter winds. I passed through lanes and avenues, finally to reach Folkway Dr, a humble neighborhood near Erin Mills.
The host warmly welcomed me. And the next two hours passed in a breeze as we discussed culture, philosophy and spirituality. Christine Long, the key force behind the library, originally hails from Iceland and is an archaeologist by profession but a painter and booklover by mission and passion. She lives with her husband, Peter, who is a retired Physical geography professor. The blessed couple were set to celebrate their 44th wedding anniversary in the coming days.
Seated in her ‘thought-provoking’ chair overlooking her lawn, Christine is a best friend to the birds and animals. She is a grateful creation of the Lord and a warm well-wisher of the book lovers in her neighborhood, including Indians and Pakistanis. She enthusiastically enquired about my books and writings as I sipped the fine tea deliciously prepared by her spouse.
Christine also organizes events in her neighborhood, including a carnival to mark relief from the Covid lockdown. She believes birds are communicating to her as they chirp upon seeing her. She readily accepted my poetry anthologies, ‘Meem is for Mercy’ and ‘Alchemy of Affinity’ to her humble collection. I shared with her many anecdotes from the lives of Sufi masters of my spiritual tradition. Especially Ustad Mohiyuddin Athipatta, the late Keralite saint, whose love towards animals was unparalleled. ‘If you can’t find humans to give charity, at least sprinkle sugar particles for the ants’.
The tea in the cup was over. But not our talk: I bid her and Peter farewell after promising I would return soon. Maple syrup may be mighty sweet. But the merciful hearts are the majestic superheroes of any nation or culture. We need more of the likes of ‘Christine’ whose spirit of inclusivity is becoming exponentially extinct on our planet.
The trip to Mississauga was worth every penny and minute of the 15 hours I flew from the Middle East to the North Americas.