Growing with gratitude for life's challenges
You can’t push the river, a teacher once told me. So true. I’ve had a lifetime of trying to outrun the river, and consequently, the shattered pieces of my efforts litter life’s banks. With illness, I have come to appreciate that it is not about flowing with the river, or keeping up, but being open. The […]
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Life is full of irony, or so it feels when that is foremost on one’s mind. Here are just some of the ways that irony has played a role this week: Concerned that the hotel we were staying at was pet-friendly (and I am deadly allergic to cats), we made distancing ourselves from animals the […]
Read MoreWhat will come from all this suffering? Why do I keep repeating old patterns? Where is this journey taking me? How can I be a better person? When do things get better? A Question by Robert Frost A voice said, Look me in the stars And tell me truly, men of earth, If all the soul-and-body […]
Read More“The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our sense to grow sharper.” – W.B. Yeats Travelling across North America and back this past winter, every day was filled with discovery, awakening new passion for life. The challenge, I recognized, as our trip wound down, would be to keep this sense of wonder […]
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I’m really just a simple gal, who finds pleasure in simple things, like a flash of yellow at the bird feeder or the surprise of spring abundance and whimsical notions conjured by a treehouse and the neighbourliness of front porches all made extraordinary, when shared. (The Daily word prompt from Fandango is “Simple” )
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Biting, the sun’s brilliance – set against a cornflower blue sky – competes with the mustard gold, tangerine orange and chartreuse leaves, shimmering in the breeze the vividness of colours, too sharp for just awakened eyes, begs retreat. I contemplate what I have witnessed, think life is like this: too beautiful at times for words, […]
Read MoreFather worked six days a week, and with the exception of Saturday, was gone from 7:30 am to 10:30 pm. Sundays were reserved for family day: usually church, visiting, and a formal dinner. He could be fun at times, but typically he was tyrannical – angry and critical – calling us idiots, useless, and expletives […]
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“I’ll cover the lying down!” I tell the two strangers, who have just entered my bedroom assessing what needs to be moved. “Good idea!” the tall, lanky one named Josh answers. The outside air is heavy with the threat of a downpour. Inside I pull a blanket over my prone body. I hear the grunts […]
Read MoreDear Parents, Sorry I didn’t always do things in the way (or order) you thought I should, but quite frankly, your screwups made me seriously doubt your wisdom, and besides, what could I ever hope to learn from conformity? p.s. I hope I turned out alright in your eyes. Dear Kids, I know I haven’t […]
Read More“I get hit on everyday at work,” a young mother recently disclosed. “Anyone of those men would be happy to look after me. My husband just doesn’t appreciate me enough!” I don’t know what has motivated this woman to make such a comment, but I fear she is on the brink of destroying many lives. “There […]
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One Woman's Quest II 