Changing the Lens

Reading through old journals, so much focuses on lack of money. I express guilt for not providing enough as a single mother, anger for being abandoned by my children’s father, and shame for having to rely on others. The feelings still linger. And then I hear my father’s voice: “The good Lord always provides.” And […]

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Hold On!

Some days, you just have to find that rock to hold onto.Tomorrow you can think about letting go. (Another tidbit from foraging old posts and journals. Image my own.)

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Where is Home?

I ask my three-year-old self to show me her home, and she points to the floor beneath the formica-topped table in the kitchen. There, caged within the chrome legs of table and chairs, she is out of the path of adult legs, whose movements are as unpredictable as their moods. I ask my four-year-old self […]

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Learning What Matters

Parents brought children to the occupation in Ottawa. They set up camp on a main thoroughfare, in front of apartment buildings and retail shops, and obstructed the lives of others. They honked their big rig horns, left their diesel engines running day and night, and set up barbeques, and food tents, and bouncy castles, and […]

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Woodpeckers & Co.

Ric had his fifth knee surgery in November, and my health took a nose dive. Now, after two months of doctor’s appointments and ongoing tests, there is a pause. I am ready for rest. Freezing rain set in today, followed by snow, so we are snuggled inside with the dogs and a warm fire. Outside, […]

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How To Start a Cult*

Find an issue people are able to get passionate about, say, child trafficking. 2. Share information and increase the outrage. Start with facts, but insert the occasional manufactured story to test the waters. Maybe try Pizza Gate. 3. Increase paranoia by suggesting that so much is hidden from the public. Again, use actual cases, for […]

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Contemplating a Tree

Meditation, a former teacher of mine said, is as easy as contemplating a tree. Imagine its roots running deep into the Earthgrounding and nurturing Imagine its branches reaching towards the skybending with the breezes Imagine yourselfdeeply rootedtouching the sky,strong and calm. (Image my own)

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Mindful Practice

In darkest times, I learned to pray, asking each day for healing and insight to guide me. I walked with awareness, appreciating the sacredness of all living things. Breathing consciously, I discovered an effective way to release tension. In meditative moments, letting go of self, I felt at one with nature. “What does that mean?” […]

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Don’t Take It Personally

Spurred on by my mother, I left home at the age of seventeen. It was the right thing for all involved, but when my parents replaced me with two cats, I couldn’t help but feel slighted: I’m deadly allergic to cats. When my mother-in-law spiked a meal with milk, hoping to prove that food allergies […]

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Dormant

There’s a restlessness in me that defies explanation. It’s not that I am bored – I have any number of creative projects on the go – it’s that I have a sense that I’m missing something, something that lies deep at my core. But what? And how do I access it? Something that is dormant […]

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