Category

Relationships

The exploration of how surviving cancer has altered my perception with personal relationships.

My Summer Adventures

Why I was Missing in Action As you all know (for those who follow me) I have been MIA this summer. Although I was actively enjoying posts from my two favourite bloggers Smelly Socks and Garden Peas and Laura’s Books and Blogs, I didn’t take the time to pen my own posts for my own blog! For shame!! Where have…

Making Waves

It has been an interesting summer with our almost 8 year old going on teen … he has really begun to exert his independence, voice his opinions, defy the rules (or at least attempt to), and push all boundaries. His negotiations are impressive, if not frustrating, and the tempers – though not tantrums – are tiresome. He wants what he…

Good-bye Grade Two

Good-bye grade two. Adieu. Adieu. It has been a very challenging year for our little one. To have missed the final three months of school in grade one due to the onset of the pandemic [in Canada]; and then find himself in a tumultuous, inconsistent grade two school year because of our provincial government’s decision to open, then close, then…

A Little List of Gratitude

As I reflect upon this pandemic, the duration, the isolation, and the devastation, I cannot help but feel a great sense of bewilderment, perhaps even loss, within myself. My path is altered. My life is changed. It feels so unfamiliar to me. And I know that I have experienced this before. It is a parallel experience lived to that of…

Our Story to Tell

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…

We Have to Have Hope

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…

We are All in this Together

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…

The Art of Home-Schooling

Hmm… is home-schooling an art? Perhaps I should alter the title to read The Challenges of Home-Schooling… We are in our sixth week of home-schooling with no clear end in sight. Provinces are slowly opening up across Canada, however Ontario is still in lock-down. Our state of emergency has been extended to June 02nd. Although select non-essential businesses have been…

When Life Makes a 180

Four years and ten months ago my life did a 180° flip. I was diagnosed with breast cancer. In that moment, everything about my life changed. I suddenly realized how very precious life is; and I became acutely aware of my mortality. I was scared; and although I was surrounded by loved ones I felt completely isolated. I felt incredibly…

Reflecting on the Journey

I am not going to lie. This was a tough summer. I gave everything I could to parenting my son – making his summer months fun and memorable; and then adulting in-between (work, running a household, being a wife, etc.). There was no time for self-love or for self-reflection. I did not have a moment’s breath for me. It was…