November is here, and with it comes the first faint whisperings of the Holiday Season ... Because YES, hate me all you want, I am HERE for the holidays in the month of November, and I feel exactly zero shame about it! This is the month of tree lightings and Santa Claus parades! It is … Continue reading Coping With Loss During The Holidays
For my entire life, I've been the kind of person who's puts a lot of value on place. For example ... My childhood bedroom, with it's pink walls and purple-haired-doll wallpaper, held more memories of imagination and wonder than any place else on earth. I can close my eyes and imagine the warmth against my back, … Continue reading A Place To Call Home
That time of year thou mayst in me behold When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang Upon those boughs which shake against the cold, Bare ruin'd choirs, where late the sweet birds sang. Shakespeare's Sonnet 73 I remember the first time … Continue reading Holding Tight To The Temporary
At age 3, I couldn't wait to turn 4. Because 4 meant kindergarten and I just knew, that would be the best thing ever. A few years later, when I was a little girl in ballet class, I looked up to the 11 and 12 year olds who were taking their nervous first steps in pointe … Continue reading The Best Thing About RIGHT NOW (And Each Age That’s Come Before)
Alas, my very favourite time of the year is finally here ... Fall! From October through to the end of December, I practically skip through my days, soaking up the magic of this colourful season. I picture myself as the heroine of a cheesy Hallmark movie, and squeeze in every single festive activity I possibly … Continue reading The Flip Side of Gratitude
“There's no great loss without some small gain.” Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little House On The Prairie For a very long time, I thought I was the kind of person who thrived on change. I thought that I took on new adventures with a smile, simply because of who I innately was. I believed that there was … Continue reading Unchosen Change
"Do I measure up?" Have you ever asked yourself this question? Whether consciously or not, pondering this concept is all too common ... And if you're reading this and nodding your head, I'm sure you'll also agree that it is a hard habit to break. This year, one of my personal goals has been to … Continue reading More Than A Number
"A Mom's hug lasts long after she let's go." It was the day my mom died, and in a single breath past the moment the doctor broke the news, a stony wall had been built around my heart. That wall was determined to keep reality out. Of course, it was a fruitless effort. "So you're … Continue reading Death Ends A Life. Not A Relationship
I'm pretty sure if you hopped in a time-machine and went back to 1995, and asked the parents of 4 year old Heather Jane to describe their middle-child in just one word, they would have looked at one another and blurted out "Stubborn," without a second thought. This trait has been a part of me … Continue reading Getting Stuck in Stubbornness
"If you need anything, I'm here." "Everything happens for a reason." "Time heals all wounds." Do these overused, tired platitudes make your skin crawl? If so, join the club. Something I've learned in the tough moments of my life, is that we, as a general society, really struggle with expressing genuine empathy for one another. … Continue reading Stop Waiting For The Light At The End Of The Tunnel
Heather Jane 