From grief to memoir: My writing journey (part 1)
I knew I’d write a book as soon as my son died. It didn’t come to me, an idea in the night. It was something I just knew. And I knew it would be a book of hope. In the years prior to his death, I had discovered hope in the way a drowning person discovers a life raft, and I wasn’t prepared to leg go of it now. For the first two years of writing, I had no idea how I’d make the book hopeful, but I always knew I would. I was committed to writing my way, word by word, from tragedy to hope so I could share that with others.
There were times I almost gave up, and I did pack it in a few times, twice with some sincerity. I had absolutely no understanding of what a long, difficult, heart-rending, frustrating, humility-building, fulfilling, life-changing, love-filled process it would be…
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Excerpts from "Embers", by Richard Wagamese
Richard Wagamese’s book, Embers, is one of the few books I keep returning to for its accessible wisdom. My gift to you this holiday season, is a sampling of his wisdom. I’ve chosen two of his writings from each of the seven sections in his book: Stillness, Harmony, Trust, Reverence, Persistence, Gratitude, and Joy. May we all carrya sprinkling of these with us wherever we go…
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Why we should tell our stories of losing a child to addiction
Grieving the death of your child is always horrific, but I think there’s an added layer of difficulty when you’ve lost a child to addiction, drug use, or suicide. Stigma can make it hard to share our experiences, but not sharing them magnifies our pain and makes us feel alone. I’ve always been open about my son’s struggle with addiction…
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Rewriting hope
Sesimbra, Portugal, is a place with history. She’s known grief and loss. Her cracked cobblestones are soaked with centuries of tears. History is seeped into her narrow, steep streets, but she doesn’t mourn for those lost. She knows that death is part of life. Nothing surprises her. Nothing defeats her. She simply bears witness and remains…
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Lessons from Banff Centre's writing retreat
I’ve spent the most wonderful two weeks immersed in the Summer Writers’ Retreat at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. The retreat was unstructured, designed to support writers and provide quality time to write amidst the stunning natural beauty of Banff.
Ground squirrels, deer, and elk kept me company on my daily walks while the majestic Rockies towered over me…
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Finding my voice: A dialogue with myself
FADE IN:
INTERIOR OF HOME. NIGHT.
MYSELF, a middle-aged woman with a cat on her lap, sits in front of her laptop, right index finger hovering over the “Publish” button. She’s about to publish her first personal blog post. Or not. She takes a couple of deep breaths, then scrunches up her face and pulls her hand away from the computer. ..
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