“To tie your worth to achievements is a recipe for suffering.” ~Brad Bizjack Children don’t just learn mathematics, science, and languages in school. They also learn what success feels like, what failure means, who they believe they are, and sometimes, whether they think they belong. When I was in primary school, my school introduced academic streaming. If there were…
A few months ago, I found myself wondering whether I had made a mistake. It is not a question I expected to be asking in my seventies. Like many people my age, I sometimes think about retirement, savings, and financial security. I look around and see friends who spent decades building stable careers and preparing for the future. Some…
“Waiting is not mere empty hoping. It has the inner certainty of reaching the goal.” ~I Ching Waiting has a bad rap in modern Western society. It’s not surprising that I had to look to an ancient Chinese text (the I Ching) in order to find a suitable quote to begin this article. We don’t like to wait! It’s…
“When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” ~Maya Angelou The weekend started like any other family visit. Our family was in town, and it began with real excitement. Kids running everywhere, chocolate chip muffins in the oven, homemade ice cream for our guests, the ordinary, happy chaos of everyone existing in the same space….
“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” ~Viktor Frankl I smiled when the doctor told me I had a disease I would carry for the rest of my life. He was calling with my biopsy results, and the word he used was “Crohn’s.” I had no idea what it meant….
“If you don’t give your mind and body a break, you’ll break. Stop pushing yourself through pain and exhaustion and take care of your needs.” ~Lori Deschene In November of 2021, my autoimmune issues flared up. My doctor and I are still unsure which of my conditions—rheumatoid arthritis or fibromyalgia—was the culprit, or if they were acting in cahoots,…
“When it comes down to it, that’s what life is all about: showing up for the people you love, again and again, until you can’t show up anymore.” ~Rebecca Walker The first time my dad admitted he was scared, I felt something shift inside me. Not uncomfortable. Not worried. Scared. He had recently been diagnosed with Stage IV colorectal…
“Better than a thousand useless words is one useful word, upon hearing which one attains peace.” ~Buddha, Dhammapada Did he just cut the side of my head open? Am I bleeding out everywhere? Is there blood rushing down my face and onto the floor? It was the middle of my standard biweekly haircut when my mind suddenly began to…
“The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh A few years ago, I moved to a new country with two children under two. The idea had felt exciting at first—a fresh start, a new place, a life by the sea. But excitement fades quickly when you realize you…
“One never notices what has been done; one can only see what remains to be done.” ~Marie Curie I almost didn’t go to my cousin’s wedding. Not because I didn’t want to celebrate her. I did. But the thought of walking into a room full of people who knew the version of me from two years ago felt unbearable….
