That’s Where Identity Begins Again When I emptied the last storage unit, I stood in the doorway looking at the empty space one last time. I remember thinking, I’ve done it. Then another thought quietly followed: Now what? For two and a half years, grief had given me a very clear assignment. There was a […]
Who Am I Without the Roles I Once Held? After I emptied the last storage unit, people naturally asked me how it felt. Most assumed the biggest relief came from having less stuff to manage. There certainly was relief. The emotional weight had lifted, and so had the financial burden of paying for a space […]
The Storage Unit Was Never Just Storage My husband died in November 2023. Within six months, I had moved out of the home we had shared for more than three decades and into a much smaller townhouse. Downsizing meant making difficult decisions. Nearly 80 percent of what we had accumulated over a lifetime together had […]
Writing a Last Letter: 7 Things to Include Consider it a ‘just in case’ letter When I prepared my first draft of my Advance Care Plan, which will guide my substitute decision maker through my wishes, values and care goals, I envisioned my eventual death well into the future. With COVID-19, however, one can’t assume […]
What Everyone Must Know About DEALING WITH AN AGGRESSIVE or NEGATIVE LEADERSHIP COACH Is Your Coach Abusive? You finish a session with your business or leadership coach and you think to yourself, “What just happened?” Perhaps you replay the session in your head, trying to make sense of the conversation. It happens again at your […]
Unexpected Opportunity Change as Beautiful as a Kaleidoscope Imagine looking inside a kaleidoscope at the display of patterns and colors inside this magical instrument. What do you see? An intriguing show of color and shapes, right? Remember now, what happens when you turn the kaleidoscope. The pattern shifts, doesn’t it? And yet it’s still colorful […]
DIY Guide to Becoming an Extraordinary Grump Revolutionize Your Life Recently, a friend shared that they regularly schedule some personal grump time. This got me wondering how personal grump time could help release heavy emotions to support lightening one’s mood and supporting emotional health and wellness. What could a really good grump session look like […]
Diamonds Anyone? What Matters Most “My 50-year-old hands look so old,” a friend recently posted on social media. She continues, “I’ve been denying the idea of aging!” We were examining perspectives around inheriting jewellery from our mothers, grandmothers, and great aunts. What is it that causes us to want to gift our material possessions? What […]
Another One Bites the Dust A better chance of survival Rummaging through the cupboard looking for nutmeg for a baking project, I discovered an unopened jar of roasted garlic and onion spread; pure deliciousness. This savory condiment had, unfortunately, expired over a year ago. Last week another cupboard offered up an assortment of expired puddings […]
A Relic Found: Just How Old? Treasuring the Gift There in the basement, next to the washer and dryer sits a rather large and motionless mammoth of a beast. It doesn’t growl, or make any noise for that matter, and yet it compels me to notice it and give it some attention. It’s been lonely […]