The Tuesday after Labour Day always feels like an ending and a beginning for me. Do you feel the same? There’s something special about this day. The return to school means the end of summer and there is a great feeling of circularity. Every ending promises a new beginning, right? The new year offers a…
Read More
My daughter jokes and says, “I need to go to Dubai. It is the land of my people.” It isn’t. But maybe something stirs inside her. Maybe she feels it. And I wonder, which is the land of my people. I am an immigrant with a cacophonous mix of ancestors. All of them different from…
Read More
I received an email recently from a former student of mine who graduated four years ago. Her words were overflowing with gratitude for the life changes she has made, both professionally and personally, due to words, she said, I’d spoken in lecture. I remember Jessie of course, but I didn’t remember the words until she…
Read More
I am oh so grateful for thoughtful gestures and gentle autumn days. Early morning brought plenty of time for slow reflection. The supermoon was still out shining her light brightly, while on the opposite end of the horizon the sun painted hues upon the sky that coordinated with gently changing autumn leaves. Chrysanthemums and pumpkins…
Read More
What are the 5 Rs you ask?, first let me tell you a bit of where this inspiration came from. In Niagara Falls you’ll find a famous tourist attraction, The Niagara Floral Clock. It is said to have been photographed as often as The Falls itself. I haven’t taken a picture every time I’ve been…
Read More
A couple of days ago I posted about the turquoise house. There’s so much that I could have said about it and one of the things that stood out for me is how our fear of rejection prevents us from being ourselves. Many of us humans struggle with acceptance, the need for approval. We’re conditioned…
Read More
The sun was high in the sky. The air felt light. A goldilocks day, not too hot and not too cold. The perfect day to toss on a comfortable cotton dress and a pair of flip flops, (my favourite even at my age) and go for a nice long afternoon walk. As I walked with…
Read More
It’s part of the human condition isn’t it, the drive to be happy. We push and pull, struggle and strive on the seesaw between joy and suffering, desperately holding on to the happiness side more ardently. Not realizing that the pendulum must tick between the two, for us to become whole in joy. We don’t…
Read More
This past week has been filled with vivid conversations and lots of flowers. I received flowers from my daughter for watching their puppy while they moved, flowers from a friend for whom I had done a small favour, and I visited a tulip farm all in the same week! Oh what joy to have so…
Read More
A friend of mine was recently let go from her high profile corporate job that she had invested much of her life in. I’ll call her Kim. I had worked with Kim closely until I was 47, when I decided to let go of my fabulous corporate career and all that comes with it. I…
Read More
By now you’ve heard plenty about the solar eclipse that darkened a narrow band of North America last Monday, April 8th. Here in Niagara, we were in the path of totality and I have been wanting to share this joyful moment with you all week. Although we were well prepared, having purchased our eclipse glasses…
Read More
If you celebrate Easter, I wish you a wonderful and happy Easter. And this quote is a good reminder of why we celebrate Easter. The very first Easter taught us this: that life never ends and love never dies. Kate McGahan And if you don’t celebrate Easter, I’m sure you find that the quote still…
Read More
It has been a difficult week to say the least and although I try to focus on sharing joyful moments here, because the world has enough pain and suffering in it, an occasional slide down the mountain is to be expected, before we can continue to climb again. Plus it keeps things real. And is…
Read More
I stepped out of the port terminal in Miami ready to hail a cab. Signs pointed me in the direction of the taxi stand and as I approached, an older man standing outside his cab waved to me. I nodded in agreement as I walked around to meet him, navigating the people control barriers. As…
Read More
What if I told you of a place where you could learn anything, be anything, and become anything. You can dream, imagine, and grow, in silence, on your own. There is a such a place. It’s real. And it’s all in there. Can you guess what this place is? It’s a bookshop, a library, a…
Read More
I’ll confess I’m not really an early bird. The days of shuttling kids to school, rushing off to work, and waking at an ungodly hour to make sure everything ticks along perfectly, are now behind me. Which gives me time to enjoy slow wondrous mornings. As spring begins to awaken, so do I. Like an…
Read More
I watched as they took their seat on the park bench. Settled in, he put his arm around her. She shifted towards him to fit into that familiar curve as they sat in pensive thought. No words were spoken. They were in the quiet zone. There’s joy in those pensive moments of silence. It is…
Read More
In any ordinary week, in any ordinary life, there are moments filled with magic that lead you to your own wonderland. Thursday was a day I was looking forward to. The weather app promised snow. Some may see it as a warning, but I thought of it as a promise. It may be winter in…
Read More
