This time of year is tricky in the back lane. The snow that got packed down in the road during the winter got turned into a slushy mess with warmer weather. Now it’s gotten cold again, and that slush has frozen into solid position: deep ruts. The challenge driving down the back lane these days …
March 29
Y’know in the movies, when there is that ominous sound? Well, in my mind, the cute little dog isn’t included…but I have often heard a sound rather like that as the calendar approaches March 29th. My body could feel the day coming. The March breezes don’t have quite the bite that February winds do. We …
After the Championship Loss: A letter to my son
Dear Son, So many thoughts and feelings and words inside me, this morning after the night of your team’s great National Championship loss. So many things deliberately unsaid yesterday…yesterday was a day of silent comfort, sitting in the sadness with you. Words weren’t a good idea yesterday. And today, you are a couple of time …
Sweet Sixteen
She would have been sixteen today. I have her birthday marked on our calendar. We mark the occasion every year. Not with a birthday cake though. With white daisies. Janna Hope was only 3 weeks old when the abnormalities of her little heart were too much for her little body to bear. In the years …
Depression Support 101
Depression is a scary diagnosis when it happens to someone living in your house. When depression hits someone you love, it’s so hard to figure out how to be meaningfully supportive. It’s so much easier to support someone with a broken leg than with a heart that feels lifeless and heavy, isn’t it? In this …
The special plate
I loved, during the Olympics, watching athletes read letters of love from their parents. Isn’t it beautiful to watch how people are moved by reading how much their parents love them and admire their grit and perseverance? Children weep when witnessing the love and pride of a parent: “Dear Kaitlyn and Andrew…”@WeaverPoje get a letter …
February 15
I have a theory about Valentine’s Day: Valentine’s Day is a crushingly discouraging day for those in the midst of heartbreak. A reminder of al that was lost. It is salt in the wound for those that are single, irritating the soul that seemingly everyone, save you, has someone to share romantic cards and dinner …
What to do with men behaving badly
In a survey of 451 women in November of 2017: 50% of women say they have experienced sexual harassment as defined by Canada’s labour code: “any conduct, comment, gesture, or contact of a sexual nature that is likely to cause offence or humiliation to any employee; or that might, on reasonable grounds, be perceived by that …
A Brief Guide for Men in the Era of #MeToo and #TimesUp
Dear Male who is frightened by the #MeToo and #TimesUp movement, So, if you are man who is a little freaked out, worrying that a woman is going to accuse you of treating her badly at work or elsewhere, I’d like to be direct about what is required to increase your own sense of safety. It’s …
A letter to men freaked out by the power of #MeToo
Dear Male who is frightened by the #MeToo and #TimesUp movement, It’s not easy to be a powerful male these days, is it? So many powerful men have had successful careers and reputations destroyed in an instant. Let’s talk about it. The #MeToo movement is huge these days–so many brave women supporting each other as they …