Growing with gratitude for life's challenges
Heavy as the day was –clouds overbearing –the reassurance of signsencouraged progress A closed-in, Earth-standing-stillkind of day – surreal in contrastto global happenings – but cosylike our own little secret. (For Cee’s Which Way challenge
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“Isolation is seldom listed as a symptom of chronic disease, but it certainly is a component. The need for human interaction is very real, in fact, psychologically, I would say it is essential. Making a conscientious effort to reach out to others, balancing social activity with limited energy, and valuing myself enough to keep the […]
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I was a ‘bad’ student. I caused trouble for teachers, skipped many classes, and still passed high school with honours. I was an enigma, our Vice Principal said. He didn’t know what to do with me, and ended up inviting me to leave. He was always respectful. That young woman joined me, many years later, […]
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When health takes a hit, the road ahead becomes littered with unknowns. After months of waiting, I finally got in to see a neurologist. Actually, the call came on the very day I was about to tell my doctor to cancel the referral. For ten years I have lived with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis. Diagnosed, that is. […]
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Two photos from our recent gathering honouring the Ukrainian poet T.G. Shevchenko (1814-1861). Schevchenko who knew imprisonment at the hands of the Russians, wrote about his love of country, the resilience of his nation, and the oppression of Russia. His publications have been banned by Tsars. He remains a symbol of hope and peace for […]
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This current state of restlessness seems to be adding to the body’s distress. I try to calm myself with art, but the emerging images, abstract and chaotic, only seem to magnify the mood. I never know when a piece is finished, so taking a photo allows me to step away and view my art objectively. […]
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You can’t tell from the photograph, but one woman’s cousin has been missing for 20 days. He is in the military, and all they know is 22 from his regiment are dead. Another’s brother just turned 16. She wants to bring him to Canada before the war makes a statistic out of him, but their […]
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February tests us with her gloom. I am tempted to hole away. Feel sorry for myself. Let others feel sorry for me. It’s not sustainable, however. The month is practically through, and pity is more smothering than the greyest winter’s day. I will wander down to the art room and punch a hole in the […]
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Without resources to deal with the trauma of my youth, I buried it. It would surface again, when as a young mother, I sought for a deeper understanding of life. I searched for the light and found only darkness – the truth of my own victimhood. I did not see how my obsession with healing – the […]
Read MoreTook some time to re-evaluate where my energy goes, as my health has been deteriorating lately. The one thing Myalgic Encephalomyelitis teaches is that energy for anything (be it mental, emotional, or physical exertion) is limited. Trying on a stripped back existence in order to reset. That has meant limited screen time. “The idle mind is the devil’s […]
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One Woman's Quest II 