Passion Power

When I read your note about all your feelings and ways in which you beat yourself up I thought it's no wonder she's having a rough time. I agreed with many things you said and believe me your self awareness is pretty good but not as gentle as I would like for my oldest daughter. Acceptance is just sitting quietly and acknowledging what's true. What's true is you're having a wonderful time and there are days when you meltdown. What's true is that you have limiting beliefs about yourself and are ordering shit sandwiches instead of roast beef. You are Gold my dear. Your greatest worry shouldn't be that you are nuisance to someone else. There is no such thing as a 'great' worry. Worries aren't great. This approval seeking is immobilizing you and making you neurotic but don't worry my sweet daughter it happens to the best of us. This universal popularity you so desire with every fiber of your being is.... well.... shall we say a waste of ...

No One Has to Die Alone gets death and dying out of the closet and on to the Dining Room Table. I read Dr. Lani Leary’s book in 2012 when my Aunt Judy was diagnosed with a terminal illness. It’s is one of those books you read and know you are forever changed. This book will empower you to support a loved one at the end of their life. Shortly after my Aunt was diagnosed I really wanted to call her but I really didn’t know how to handle such a delicate conversation. What do I say? What don’t I say? Should I be positive or realistic. Will she want visitors? What do I write on the card and what do I say to my cousin? This was unfamiliar territory I was so vulnerable. I kept asking myself what would I want? I wonder if you will KNOW how to handle this situation if the time comes. Maybe you already have. Dr. Leary has worked for over 30 years as a psychotherapist. She's a Chaplain in the intensive care unit of a hospital, a counselor in 8 hospices across the US and is a ...

Well-behaved women seldom make history ~ Laurel Thatcher Ulrich    This bumper sticker gained wide popularity in the ‘70s and has come around again to invite us all to speak up about sexual stereotypes and discrimination.   I’d say it’s about time if it means a safer and more equal world for our daughters and grand-daughters.   Over the past few decades thanks to responsible parenting, good strong role models and whistleblowers we have experienced many great strides.   This recent movement in Hollywood about breaking the silence offers all women another layer of protection against sexual harassment, misconduct and assault.   I’m excited about that.   There are plenty of good men to celebrate and bad men we need to stop.   Many people still sit on the sidelines, that care, but not enough to uncross their arms and start waving them in the air to show gratitude.   I get that.   We can’t care about everything but for every sexist remark ...

A peaceful soak in a hot tub underneath the stars on a wintery night. Cruising along the shore of the Magnetawan in a steel fishing boat; breeze holds my hair back.  gazing upward; smiles for a satellite picture.  The smell of fresh pine and rain soaked leaves in the middle of the forest alone and not afraid. A quiet morning centered by the pre dawn hours I welcome a brand new day; gratitude pours into my heart.  Sitting on the front porch at my cottage watching the birds play on the wire. Listening to the water fountain splash across the street; a fox sprints on by like he owns the road.    Walking along the beach without a care; the waves crash at my feet and sink my toes. Floating in the pool on a hot summer day watching the trees silently clap in the wind. Walking my happy dog anywhere commercialization doesn't exist. The generic white noise in a hotel lobby with high ceilings, comfy furniture, dim lights and a clutter free environment; where creat...

I was raised in a household in seventies where nurturing a child’s self-esteem would be considered laughable.   I remember hearing, “good kids should be seen and not heard” and my Father would get a few laughs saying that “the joys of raising kids are grossly exaggerated.” I know that my Father loved me, but I did feel small and insignificant. Parents don’t purposely try to lower their child’s self-esteem.   It happens by accident.   We must remember our own baggage and not be a bully or worse, overcompensate by treating them like a victim.   There’s no power in being a victim. I remember notes being passed around in class. Am I The Only One?     Hats were getting rip off people’s heads, people were being followed home from school and tripped.   It’s not much different now but kids have lost their ability to cope. Social media has amplified this, and many can’t deal with the stress of not being accepted or good enough.   To make matters...

I had no words to describe my obsession back then. I was 12 years old and I didn't know what was happening. I would phone my friend across the street and abruptly ask her without apology, "how many did you get?" I wasn't even that fond of her but her mother chain smoked cigarettes and didn’t keep track of them. That's how we smoked. Often there were a couple burning in the ashtray at the same time. We got butts off the ground, but mostly we liked them fresh out of the pack. I felt so sick after we smoked. I would stagger across the street, dizzy, barely making my way to the couch and flopping in front of the TV until the nausea and spinning wore off. It was normal to feel awful. I felt like I had the flu every day. I’m not sure what came first, the tobacco or the addict; the addict or the tobacco. I was a preteen and tobacco had grabbed a hold of me and said "come on kid, you're one of us now." I couldn't turn it around no matter how hard I tr...

I collect quotes like a squirrel gathers nuts.  I love to marinate in beautiful phrases. Don't you just love people who spread good energy? Quotes speak directly to me in my own voice. They tell me exactly what I need to hear. I can't relate at all to people that find no meaning in them. They sustain me on days when it feels like I'm living in a cold and very dark world. I have my own words to live by. They keep me on track and guide me back when I lose my way. They reflect who I am and how I want to show up in the world.  I'd be like a flag in a windstorm without them. I might even forget I'm here to enjoy life and that would be a disaster. JOY is the point and I'm here to experience as much of it as I can. A sense of accomplishment is very important to me. Peace is a priority when I make it one. Gratitude is a powerful way to feel thankful. One day at a time is a lifesaver. What is God? A constant provider of forgiveness, unconditional love and...