Go to the Water

Some of my readers have told me that when they read some posts, they feel like we are having a conversation. I think this post will be one of those conversations. One in which I am doing all of the talking and you are the person that listens.  I recently told someone, "I can be the calm in the storm, or I can be the storm". I never do things unless they are in a big way, and when I am a storm, I am a weather warning on your phone. My preference is to be the calm, but I don't always get what I want.  It is evident that I am a little stormy when I am in a new situation. Being a member of Waves of Hope, Dragon Boat team has been a continuous exposure to new situations. Several of us carpool from Brandon to Minnedosa for paddling. There are 5 sets of duffle bags, paddles and life jackets in the back of a vehicle. We take everything, much of which we don't use. I usually follow what other people are doing, but one practice I went rogue. I couldn't for the life of me, d...

As I was doing my early morning roaming around on my computer, I found an article titled, "how to be happy". As everyone is aware, I gobble up articles that have lists. The article got me thinking, then I started to write and here is what I came up with.   1. Count your blessings . Many people have a practice of starting or ending each day with a grateful list. Simple things that we take for granted are exactly what we need to be grateful for. They would include waking up in a good mood, hot shower or enjoying the sound of the birds chirping. The day I started to write this, I was grateful for the rain and the small thunderstorm that was happening. I am grateful that I made homemade bread yesterday, so I could have toast with rhubarb jam. I keep my grateful list very simple.  2. Cultivate empathy and compassion . Step into someone else's shoes. I had some trouble understanding how this makes a person happy. I have come to the conclusion that by simply extending ourselves ...

Medical assistance in dying (MAID) was legalized in Canada in 2016. It is a process that allows someone who meets the criteria to be able to receive assistance from a medical practitioner to end their life. There are specific criteria set up for someone to receive MAID. Only medical practitioners with training, experience and qualifications provide MAID.  Canada provides two forms of MAID. One option is often referred to as euthanasia. A MAID practitioner administers drugs to cause death. The other form is often referred to as assisted suicide. A medication is prescribed to an individual for self-administration that will cause death.  MAID is a well laid out process. You must be 18 years old, and mentally competent with a provincial health card. You must have a diagnosis with a grievous and irremediable medical condition. The request has to be made by the person requesting MAID, with no outside pressure or influence. You have to be able to give informed consent to receive MAID...

I was up very early on a Saturday watching a severe thunderstorm and reflecting. I was trying to decide what to write on a card to a friend. It has always been important to me, that what I write on a card is meaningful. This time I was writing on behalf of my entire gym group, so even more reason to get it right. I had collected money to go to a charity on behalf of a member that was going through cancer treatments. I decided the saying, "Through the Darkness, the Stars will Shine", best described the process of donating on someone's behalf.  I read an article that was titled, "Princess Kate, condition is worse". It goes without saying that the press can be a bit dramatic at times. The whole article was on speculation that Kate was getting worse because she was cancelling social engagements.  Nowhere in the article did it say, "Cancer treatments have a cumulative effect. Therefore, it is an expectation that Kate will need some time to receive and recover fr...

It started out when I read a post on Facebook about a program in Saskatchewan. It was called Teddy Bear Anonymous. They wanted slippers made to look like Teddy Bears to give children in hospitals. I thought it would be a great project for me to use up my wool and to knit something different. I found a contact with the organization, and I made arrangements to drop off the slippers with Summer in Moosomin. As we made the exchange, I simply asked Summer about the story behind the slippers. Her response has led to this blog. She has given me permission to share her families story.  Summer shared that her Uncle Luke Lawerence started Teddy Bears Anonymous after his daughter died in 2008. It was to honor Erin's love for life and her compassion for sick children. Erin and her mother had died of the same rare form of gastric cancer called Hereditary Diffuse Gastric Cancer. Erin was one day short of her 21 birthday at the time of her death. Her mother died at 29, Erin was 5 and her brother ...

Did you know there is an amazing organization that will provide a quilt to someone that has been diagnosed with cancer. It is called  "Victoria Quilts of Canada". To receive a quilt, a friend or family member sends in a request. The quilt will arrive in the mail. The organization is dependent on donations. The quilts are donated, but there is a cost of $25 to mail them, which can be up to $4000/month. Every province has their own base, Neepawa is the one for Manitoba. Donations can go directly to your own provincial site. They have been in existence for 24 years and just recently made the remarkable feat of delivering their 100,000 quilt. I have always felt I had my finger on the pulse of these types of organizations, but I knew nothing about this one. What a wonderful thing to have a lovely quilt to wrap around you in your darkest days.  Did you know in Manitoba or possibly across Canada, if a man is diagnoses with prostate cancer, and is over 70 years of age, he is not give...