Growing with gratitude for life's challenges
I’ll be waiting for you in Heaven, daughter, although the roles we played in life have no bearing here – only souls congregating in spiritual reflection. Still the ties that bound us will be vivid, your mind, no doubt reeling in transition, the turmoil of earthly incarnation still buzzing in emotional swirls. I’ve had the […]
Read MoreWe recently attended a dramatic version of To Kill a Mockingbird in Stratford, Ontario. Written by Harper Lee in the late 1950’s, this has been one of my all time favourite reads. Although some of the language is antiquated and no longer acceptable, the themes of the novel are timeless. Atticus Finch, the patriarch extraordinaire of the […]
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“I’m quite happy to spectate,” I offer when the cry goes out for team members. It’s Friday night, and darts are the big event at the neighbourhood clubhouse. “No! No! You must play. Everyone plays.” This is our second social this week in our new community, and I must say the locals are friendly and […]
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“I’m not as smart as you. I’d probably be okay if I was smarter.” “That’s not true, June. You are very smart.” “Do you really think so?” My sister and I are doing dishes after supper. June suffers from paranoid schizophrenia. “You got 96% in your nursing program,” I remind her. “Intelligence is not your […]
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What I liked about starting a new school as a kid, was the opportunity to change my approach to life. In the early years, I was known as a tough girl, a fighter. I decided to leave her behind when I moved schools in 5th grade, and focus on being smart. Instead, I learned to […]
Read More“Good Morning!” said Bilbo, and he meant it. The sun was shining, and the grass was very green. But Gandalf looked at him from under long bushy eyebrows that stuck out further than the brim of his shady hat. “What do you mean?” he said. “Do you wish me a good morning, or mean that […]
Read More“I used to dream about escaping my ordinary life, but my life was never ordinary. I had simply failed to notice how extraordinary it was. Likewise, I never imagined that home might be something I would miss.” – Ransom Riggs, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children Home is on my brain this week, as we […]
Read MoreThe celebrations started last Sunday – dinner at a Greek restaurant with the family. It was a double celebration, Sloane having turned six just days before. Then we headed North to a friend’s cottage and had a meal rich with the summer’s harvest: corn on the cob, potatoes cooked with garlic on the barbecue, and […]
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At 10, I ruled the world – hard peddling up steep roads and letting go on the other side thrilling to speed and risk. At 20, I felt the pressure to define my life, marry, and be somebody – driven without much compassion At 30, I relaxed a bit, celebrated having birthed three children, confident […]
Read MoreBy the time you read this, my celebration will have begun. The family and I will have met for a casual dinner at a local restaurant, and I’ll be glowing from pride to think that two generations all started with me. Miraculous, isn’t it? Today, we are headed up north, where I will celebrate my […]
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One Woman's Quest II 