Pause for Art

May 13, 2022.Reading time 1 minute.

For the first time in weeks, I took a break to create. The volunteering threatens to be all-consuming, but I am determined to find balance. Weeks ago, when I started this venture, I was hoping to connect one displaced Ukrainian family with a host family in my area. Quickly, the requests poured in and soon […]

Everyday Miracles

April 29, 2022.Reading time 3 minutes.

Can you help my friend, please? She is 32 weeks pregnant. The text came in mid-morning. I said I’d look into it. Mom, husband, 10-year-old, and baby on the way. Afraid of the encroaching war, they gambled their money on tickets to Canada. I thought of my own daughter-in-law, happily registering for an upcoming baby […]

Wheels of Kindness

April 22, 2022.Reading time 2 minutes.

Today is the day to leave, the 2:30 am text read; I’m letting my son sleep in, last day in our home. The message came from Kyiv. I had connected with the mom the day before. Bombing around them had finally convinced her to flee. Stay safe and keep in touch when you can. I’m […]

Reminder for a rough day

April 20, 2022.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Life is transition. Be open to the process. There is peace to be had. (Art mine)

How quickly things change…

April 8, 2022.Reading time 1 minute.

Last Friday, a friend picked me up to go birding, and I thrilled at the sight of the Pied-billed grebe on our river. Saturday, we glowed in the aftermath of a successful fundraiser, supporting the displaced Ukrainians we offered to host – still having no idea who they would they were. Sunday morning we awoke […]

Renewal

April 6, 2022.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Once relied on a day-a-page diary to keep me on track. Chronic illness freed me from that. Calendar now sparse, I have yet to learn to the art of renewal. Grateful for awe-inspiring moments. What helps you recharge? (Image my own) (Update: We are still processing the death of my husband’s son. In the meantime, […]

Heart Warmed

April 4, 2022.Reading time 1 minute.

“Hi Mrs Knutson,Hope you are well!I saw that you and your husbandare hosting a family of refugeesfrom Ukraine….“ The writer of this message attended a school where I once taught. He was not a student of mine, but I did coach the boys’ soccer team, with this young man’s help and direction (he was our […]

And so it goes…

March 28, 2022.Reading time less than 1 minute.

The generosity of friends and neighbours has truly warmed our hearts, as we prepare for our Ukrainian house guests. Inspection of our home is set for this week, and just as everything was coming together… it rained…and we discovered a crack in our foundation. Drywall has been ripped out, carpet removed, and the back garden […]

Hit Pause

March 23, 2022.Reading time less than 1 minute.

I thumb through Twitter, make lists, scan through photos, put the kettle on, check emails… …evade the moment… What am I afraid will happen if I just pause and be? Maybe I should I try it and see… (Image my own)

The Power of Intent

March 14, 2022.Reading time 1 minute.

“Sending out a collective prayer of sincere thanks to all who have supported my journey. Hope I can do the same for others, paying it forward.” These were the last words I posted on the blog that appeared last Monday. Within hours of hitting publish, two things occurred: An old friend contacted me on FaceBook […]

Human Toll

Talks stalledescapees strugglelives minimizedburdens heavydespair palpable Can they sensethe global hug,compassion circling? Do prayers have substance,or have the displacednever felt so alone? (Image mine)

Wasn’t Meant to Be

Love evolves –a considerationwe overlookedthose day whenpassion drove usto fanciful displays Tried to align myselfto the certaintyof your dreamsbut my compasswas set elsewhere Memory, thoughhas tattooed uson my heart;the ink still bleeds. (Tuesdays, I borrow from Twitter @Vjknutson. Image mine.)

Cryptic

Is the writing on the wall so cryptic?Graphic images depict rageflames of dissonanceyoung men bleeding at their own handscompassion incapacitated. A sad awakening for a society fixatedon rights and privileges, dominating culture excluding the nurtureof humanity, or preservation of life. How can we continue to closet our children’s pain – their vitality oozing – hopelessly […]