An unexpected meeting led Cecile Wilkinson and Matthew Wilder to become friends. CBC’s Jennifer La Grassa sat down with the pair to hear about what keeps them connected.
Cecile Wilkinson always wanted grandchildren.
This past June, she finally got her wish — though it didn’t happen as you might expect.
Wilkinson was sitting on a green bench at the library branch in Tecumseh, Ont., when a young teenage boy sat down beside her.
The 83-year-old lives at The Village of Aspen Lake in Windsor — a seniors’ home run by Schlegel Villages. The privately owned company’s green bench initiative, which started about a decade ago, encourages community members to take a seat next to seniors and listen to their wisdom.
“I just figured that was to be, just sitting on the bench, but then they introduced me to Matthew,” said Wilkinson.
What followed was an instant connection, sparked by stories of Wilkinson’s life and her …