Carry On

September 13, 2023.Reading time 1 minute.

For the past year and a half, my husband and I have committed to helping Ukrainians fleeing war. This has included opening our doors to house five families. We have been witness to unimaginable darkness and at the same time been deeply moved by the drive and resilience of those whose lives have touched ours. […]

Cornered

June 23, 2023.Reading time 2 minutes.

It was the pitch of the two dogs barking in the backyard that alerted me to trouble. That and Pippi, the female, growling. The two had cornered a young groundhog between the deck steps and a tiered planter. After I sternly sent them back inside, I went out to check on the animal’s wellbeing. “He’s […]

Shake Ups

January 5, 2019.Reading time 4 minutes.

The new year grabbed me in a choke hold and hog-tied me before I had a chance to even think about what it might bring. It started with a text that my mother was in hospital, followed by a harried searching of flights and anxious speculating about how I’ll get home. Me, who hasn’t ventured […]

RV-Able: Flexibility Required

October 17, 2017.Reading time 4 minutes.

“I’d like to be on the road by 10:00 am,” Ric told me the night before our five and half month stay at the beach trailer park ended. “There are high wind warnings for tomorrow afternoon, so we should be at our destination before they hit.” I had pushed myself the night before to get […]

Systemic Describes ME/CFS

September 22, 2017.Reading time 3 minutes.

Systemic best describes the characteristic of ME/CFS: the exhaustion, like a lead weight, hits muscles, organs, and brain creating an overall resistance to movement. Physical energy is engaged in a battle against spirit. Two weeks ago, I attended wedding preparations and celebrations, babysat my five-year-old granddaughter, and felt like I was finally progressing beyond this […]

Illness, Life’s Intruder

July 7, 2016.Reading time 2 minutes.

Before illness (ME/CFS), I had my life lined up, like a shopkeeper perfectly aligning her shelves, ready to get down to business. One more course and I would be at the top pay scale, qualified to fill many shoes in the education field. I had landed my dreamed-for job in Special Education, and was starting […]

Tale of Kidnapping Inspirational

June 13, 2016.Reading time 1 minute.

Amanda Lindhout, along with Sara Corbett, has written a riveting tale of her kidnapping and captivity during a trip to Somalia. I first became interested in Lindhout’s story when I caught a glimpse of an interview on a television program. How, I wondered, does someone survive such a horrendous experience? A House in the Sky, […]

Tribulations

May 2, 2016.Reading time 3 minutes.

Preoccupation with my own woes blinded me to my husband’s suffering, which culminated in a heart attack on Saturday night. We are shell-shocked. “That’s what happens to caregivers,” a callous nurse commented. Am I supposed to feel guilty? Unable to either drive myself, or push my own wheelchair, I am reliant on the goodwill of […]

Sorry, I Swear

March 30, 2016.Reading time 4 minutes.

Used the ‘f’ word last night – added and ‘ing’ for extra emphasis – flung it with a full throttle hostility. It startled both my husband and myself, and we have been tiptoeing around each other ever since. It is not like me to lose my temper, or at least not to express myself with […]

But I Want To!

March 22, 2016.Reading time 3 minutes.

“Remember that healthy individuals, when they wake up each morning, their bar is way up here,” my doctor holds one arm up at forehead level and her other arm at waist level to demonstrate meaning. “As the day progresses, their energy level naturally decreases”, she lowers her arm in illustration. “You, on the other hand, […]