It is autumn. As the leaves slowly change colour, and the air becomes crisp and lively, and the days grow shorter I am inspired to clean; that kind of cleaning most people enjoy doing in the latter weeks of spring, I also enjoy doing in the early weeks of autumn. With the start of the school year and with winter…
Crystal Joy
I am a dreamer. I am an artist. I am an adventure-seeker. I am a storyteller. I am a wife. I am a mommy. I am a cancer survivor. My name is Crystal Joy Hall. Share in my journey at crystaljoyhall.com.
Oh yes, here we are, in the very early stages of the Foolhardy Fives. As Bette Davis famously warned ‘Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy night [ride]’. She wasn’t kidding. She must have been a mother to a 5 year old… Let me begin by expressing to all that I am no expert on child psychology or…
I find myself in a restless place of reflection. Today is the 17th Anniversary of 9/11. A day that most people around the world will never forget – especially North Americans. Terrorist attacks, war, large-scale violence – these were all things reported about from the other side of the world, but not something you expected to witness in peaceful North…
In my recent post This Is Grief I spoke about acupuncture, and the flood of emotions this form of treatment unleashed within me. I was not prepared. As a result, my summer months were spent reflecting upon and traversing through the overwhelming depths of my sadness, my anger, my grief. These dark and tumultuous feelings hovered under the surface of…
I thought that after 3 years, this journey would get easier. However lately, I have found myself weeding through dark and muddled emotions – feelings of frustration, of anger, but mostly, of grief. Grief. I realize that I have not grieved. I have not mourned the life I once led and the losses that I have faced. I…
I remember distinctly my son’s first day of junior kindergarten (JK) – his nervousness; the tenderness we all three [as a family] felt; and the tears that streamed down his chubby little cheeks as we bid him good-bye and good-luck on his first day of JK. I remember how empty and lost I felt as my husband and I walked…
Last year, in my post Baby Steps, I reflected upon my 2yr Cancerversary – the baby steps that I had taken and the ones I still needed to take. I discussed moving forward from the strife and outlined what I needed to do. And so, as my 3yr Cancerversary fast approaches, I want to take a moment to reflect on…
It has been an emotional month. Over the past 22 days I suffered from severe scanxiety. I know that I have touched upon this type of anxiety in my previous post Perhaps… Just Perhaps. And let me tell you folks – this sh!t is real. As my mammogram and ultrasound fast approached my scanxiety worsened. I felt uneasy – my…
In January of this year, I was approached by The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation (PMCF) requesting if they could use my story as their feature for the spring mailing campaign. They outlined the requirements and provided details regarding the mailing. I was apprehensive. Sharing my story through blogging and online videos allowed some anonymity – sounds strange to say –…
Knockers… and I do not mean door knockers. I mean knockers. One of the challenges I have faced since my mastectomy is finding bras and breast forms to fit my tiny structure and my even tinier bust. It took trying various brands, different sizes, and many different styles before I finally found a [silicone] breast form that fit me…