I do believe that on New Year’s Eve there was a collective global sigh of relief – thank goodness THAT year has passed. It was a year of loss, fear, and turmoil. All across the world we grappled with ever-changing circumstances forcing us all to adjust how we function within society – how we work, how we interact, and how…
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.
When the going gets tough … the tough cry. Little bursting cries. Big ugly cries. Lock yourself in the bathroom cries. Silent tears cries. So much crying. So much sorrow, uncertainty, fear, sadness, and frustration. Yes. This is what pandemic fatigue can look like. It has been an exhausting nine months and though vaccines have been approved in Canada, and…
As the weather grows colder and as winter begins to present itself we find no refuge from the grey skies and bleak days. No theatre. No cinemas. No shopping [in malls or small retails stores]. No museums. No art galleries. No science centre. No aquarium. No farm. No libraries. No recreational sports. No gyms. No fitness classes. COVID-19 cases are…
It is that time of year again. The sky is grey, murky, temperamental. The air is crisp, cool, and damp. The sun hides behind the slate clouds that pepper the sky. It is late autumn. That time of year when the trees have lost their vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows, where the days feel colourless, bleak, and dismal, and where…
It has been nine days. Nine full days…. Nine days ago my treatment for breast cancer ended. Nine days ago I completed adjuvant therapy. It has taken these past nine days for me to comprehend the significance of this, and to wonder what the next part of my journey will entail. It has been strange hitting these milestones in the…
It has been almost a month since I have written. Finding a moment to myself has been difficult. In fact, I stealthily snuck away hoping my absence will not be noticed, and I am now sitting on the floor of my 7 year old’s bedroom because – oddly enough – it is currently the quietest place in the house right…
The Sketchbook Project At the start of the pandemic, when life as we knew it rapidly changed within days, we found ourselves in social isolation. We were locked-down, physically distanced from family, friends, and community. I lost my job. My son could not attend school. Extra-curricular activities were stopped. We were housebound, in shock, and in fear. But, this was…
With COVID-19 came many interruptions to our daily lives. As a society we have experienced job loss, school closures, and failed businesses at unprecedented levels. We have suffered the loss of loved ones. We have postponed special occasions. We are barred from attending cinemas, theatres, and concerts. We wait in line just to enter a grocery store, and we carefully…
My time, during these past 3 months was entirely monopolized by home-schooling/virtual learning. Day after day for 70+ days I sat next to my son guiding him through his assignments, helping him grasp new concepts, ideas, and subjects, as well as organizing and prepping his assignments for the following day. With me by his side, he progressed rapidly in reading,…
This month marks 5 years since my breast cancer diagnosis. June 02nd – mammogram, ultrasound, needle-aspiration biopsy, core biopsy; June 10th – MRI; June 16th – first visit with my Oncologist; June 17th – second needle-aspiration biopsy, second core biopsy; June 18th – Rapid Genetic Testing for BRCA-1 and BRCA-2; June 23rd – Pre-Op Clinic and follow-up appointment with my…