Tonight is an evening for turning lemons into lemonade.

Islander Joyce Garde, a 14-year cancer survivor, was recently diagnosed with another cancer. Rather than fight the battle alone, she is celebrating with friends and is doing it in style — at a benefit held tonight in her honor at Lola’s restaurant in Oak Bluffs. All are invited to join her from 7 p.m. until 12:30 a.m. for free finger food, live deejay music, dancing, and a silent auction. The suggested donation is $20 at the door.

The Rev. Cathlin Baker was busy. It was something of a day off from activities at West Tisbury’s First Congregational Church, of which she is the new minister. It wasn’t her sermon-writing day. But there was still unpacking to be done at the parsonage in Island Farms. Then Eirene (who was born on St. Patrick’s Day and whose name means “peace” in Greek) needed to be nestled and four-year-old Hardy had to be greeted when he came home from the Rainbow Place preschool in Edgartown.

Do you agree it’s time for a change? Have we had enough of the same old same old? We seem to have fallen into a rut over the past eight years. Many of us welcome a chance for change, a breath of fresh air, a new view of the world. Bring more people around to our way of thinking. Share our feelings with a larger segment of the population.

We want to do more than we’ve done in the past. We can do better. This is no time to sit on the sidelines. We need to walk side-by-side, shoulder-to-shoulder and show our solidarity for the cause.