Navigating the Depths of Parental Grief

Navigating the Depths of Parental Grief

Healing, Relationships
The loss of a child brings a depth of sorrow. I see the immense struggle parents face in moving forward after child loss. The journey through grief is deeply personal and challenging, especially when it involves the unimaginable loss of a son or daughter. Overcoming grief and sorrow is a huge task for parents who have lost a child at any age. The emotional trauma that accompanies such a loss can often prolong the grieving process, creating a heavy burden. It's like carrying an anchor that keeps pulling you back into the depths of sadness, making it difficult to see a way out. The Lingering Effects of Grief The emotional trauma that lingers after such a loss can manifest in various ways, impacting relationships, mental health, and overall well-being. Despite…
Read More
Are Some People Pests In Your Life?

Are Some People Pests In Your Life?

Nature
Today’s adventure involved wandering outside to check on the tomato plants we've been growing this summer. We have been enjoying having fresh tomatoes and some cucumbers. I was out having a look and noticed some branches getting a bit black on the edges. I thought “Something's going on” and started trimming off a little bit of a few branches on one plant. I was working away trimming, no big deal, but then started to notice a few little tomatoes had been chopped in half and eaten. I got a little more suspicious. As I was going along, I reached for another branch and touched underneath. It felt weird, it felt different and felt soft and puffy. So, I bent down and looked and there was this big giant, creepy hornworm.…
Read More
Life Memories and Mulberries

Life Memories and Mulberries

Food, Lifestyle, Nature, Relationships
Have you ever had the chance to go berry picking?I'm not talking about the little packages of berries you pick up at the store.I did a lot of berry picking when I was young, and it was a favourite activity. It usually also involved a chance to go out for a picnic with my mom and grandfather, Cappy Guy. My mom would prepare the meal and pack it up for the three of us. We would take off in Cappy’s little car, which he never did seem to get, to handle and how to shift it properly! So I remember bouncing around while riding in the back seat, but I loved every second of the trip. After dinner, they would sit and have coffee together and Cappy would light up…
Read More
Valuable Life Lessons From A Vegetable Garden

Valuable Life Lessons From A Vegetable Garden

Food, Nature
My Mother was an amazing cook who managed to feed a family of seven very well despite her limited budget. Her large vegetable garden provided heaps of vegetables in summer and delicious pickles all year. As a child I helped prepare, plant and harvest vegetables from that garden every summer. I felt respect for Nature when my hands were in the soft prepared earth, gently placing seeds in the soil. It requires patience to carefully plant at the right depth and space, sometimes one seed at a time. Next the miracle would happen as the sun’s life force energy would awaken these tiny seeds to germinate and grow into plants. I enjoyed the view as our vegetable garden transformed from mounds of brown dirt to delicate green plants sprouting in…
Read More
3 Healing ways for Seeing the Truth and Letting Go

3 Healing ways for Seeing the Truth and Letting Go

Healing, Lifestyle, Nature, Relationships
As we move through life it's incredible how often we are tested and struggle with trying to assist or simply letting go. The truth is we can create more problems by jumping in and trying to help out, take it from me. Especially with the folks we care about, our children, our partner, our parents, friends and clients. I was always willing to jump in and help but I have finally learned a huge lesson. You can never fix what people aren't willing to change No matter how much we desire to help another person, the choice to take action or not will always be with them. Here are three ways I determine how much a person with problems, issues or complaints really wants to improve. 1. Are they taking responsibility for their part in problems? Or…
Read More
Do We Still Want Gold Star Approval?

Do We Still Want Gold Star Approval?

Lifestyle, Relationships
At some point on our life journey we've all had a need for approval in one form or another.It begins as a child when we look for our parents’ approval. Remember how good it felt to get a smile from Mom or Dad when you performed well? Or how horrible you felt when they were disappointed or disapproved? We all enjoy feeling good about ourselves, but some people develop a real thirst for approval. They want and need more appreciation for everything they do.Sadly the need for glory can mess a person up when it suddenly disappears. In my early school years I loved receiving gold stars for a job well done, we all did! The problem can exist in how we handle ourselves as teens and adults. Do we continue…
Read More
Loving Animals = Learning to Care for Others

Loving Animals = Learning to Care for Others

Lifestyle, Relationships
Many of you know I grew up with animals, I loved them and they were my friends. We always had a cat and dog but around 8 years of age I was thrilled the moment I rode a friend's pony. I asked my father if we could get a pony and he told me if we did, I would be responsible for the care and feeding of the pony. Of course I agreed, having no clue of what was involved and how much horse poop I would shovel. We started with one pony, then 2, then 2 more and their foals, then a horse for Dad, and a horse for Mom. My sister brought home "cute" baby chicks that she cared for for a few weeks, and then I got…
Read More
Happy & Sad Emotions Missing Mom & Chocolate Cake

Happy & Sad Emotions Missing Mom & Chocolate Cake

Healing, Relationships
It all started with a chocolate cake... I decided to make a cake for my husband's birthday. He loves chocolate so I began looking at recipes. I have old ones but this time felt pushed to find a match with my mother's recipe from the past. You see my mother was an awesome cook and she loved to bake! In summer she'd do extra baking and sell it at my Dad's hardware store to local and summer folk in our small town. The tricky part with Mom's recipes was that most were in her head. So when you asked for a recipe she'd list off the ingredients as "about a cup of this and a couple of spoonfuls of that...". I was often left wondering if she was talking teaspoons…
Read More