Growing with gratitude for life's challenges
At fifty-nine, I was certain that I knew myself – accomplished, defined and established – but illness changed the framework from which my remaining time would unfold. I became a non-entity in my former career, and a ghost to friends. My children mourned the loss of their vibrant mother and settled into lowered expectations. […]
Read More
Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible. – Frank Zappa For several years running, I was invited to speak to the Sociology of Deviancy class at our local university. Each visit, I opened by joking that I was never quite sure whether the invitation was a good thing or not. Truthfully, though, I […]
Read More
“The light is not very good for taking photographs,” Ric remarks as we turn onto the road along the river which has fast become our favourite drive. “I know.” It’s not in my character to give up just because circumstances are not ideal. In my mind, there are always photo opportunities. The river flows […]
Read More
Testing social waters – that cherished state of interaction – prone to revealing too much have been homebound, studying life without a facilitator, now attempting to penetrate invisibility gathering the salvageable bits – minimal fragments of a once whole woman, reaching out, reconnecting, reception mixed much has passed me by – no amount of homework […]
Read More
It’s a funny thing, character, the way it brands people as they age rising from within to leave its scar – Kate Morton, The Distant Hours The school board I worked for introduced an initiative to promote character education in the classroom. Acceptance, caring, honesty, respect, empathy, perseverance, and responsibility were among the traits targeted. At the start […]
Read More
Up until August 1st of this year, my husband and I lived in motor home for a year, having travelled across North America for six of those months. It was a drastic change of lifestyle for us, and an incredible journey. As with all change, it required certain sacrifices. We let go of our bricks […]
Read More
My granddaughter paints a row of red flowers with crosses in between. “Flanders Field” she tells me. She’s six. “Your great-great grandfather, my grandfather, was shot in Flanders Field.” She raises her eyes to meet mine. “Did he die?” “No, but he was injured.” He was crawling across the field when the bullet entered and […]
Read More
“What do you pray for?” “Inner peace.” “And what are you willing to sacrifice in order to achieve this desire?” The question startles me. “What do you mean?” “To achieve the sacred, you must be emptied of that which obstructs its passage. What stands in the way of receiving your highest good?” I have to […]
Read More
We’ve discovered a drive along the river where Great Blue Herons, Red Tail Hawks, and Bald Eagles come to hunt. It’s a dirt road with little or no traffic, except for the odd bird watcher like us. After a week of inclement weather, the sun peeked out yesterday morning, so I convinced Ric to take […]
Read More
It snowed early that year, and those who gathered at the church hall were dressed to keep out the cold, mumbling about the weather, and helping themselves to warm beverages. Seems deaths come in threes, and this was the third of our family members we’d buried in as many months. “Where’s Uncle Charles?” I asked […]
Read More
One Woman's Quest II 