It’s Tuesday night. Hump Day is tomorrow. Yesterday was a stressful, conflicted, yammering, kind of day around our house, with seemingly everyone bagging on each other, not enough time, and the pressures of the world crowding in around us…the tones were tense, and it required effort to not go off on each other. We pulled …
Taking the Mask Off
There is the very real dilemma and tension of needing to put on a mask and to armor up against fear and vulnerability on the job, and then find ways of reversing that to be emotionally available to his family: The brain is affected by trauma…we know what the names of the brain are …
Too careful translates into wobbly
I rode my bike to the Smith St. office this week for the first time this year. Downtown. I wear a helmet, and yet my mother asks me if I’m safe. I’ve been an adult for a couple of decades now, and still my mother asks me if I’m safe on my bike. Apparently, mothering …
Hump Day Nudge: Someone isn’t listening
We all need to poke fun at ourselves sometimes, to laugh at ourselves in a gentle way that highlights truth in a humorous way…not to humiliate or shame ourselves, but just to invite ourselves to see things from a different angle. Hey girlfriend, if you’ve got a spouse or a male co-worker nearby who needs …
Supporting Your Team
I was at the inaugural event at the new Investor’s Group Stadium this afternoon of One Heart. Mark Hughes exhorted the assembled crowd to remember that all the churches in this city of Winnipeg are on one team, the same team…and that when the churches of Winnipeg support and work together, things become possible in …
Hump Day Nudge: Living and loving while dying
Around Christmas time several months ago, I remember stumbling across a beautiful song…gentle, lyrical, and beautiful, called Clouds, written by Zach Sobiech. I remember being touched by the song, and listening to it several times: The song was written by the 17 year old as a response to his mother who asked him to …
A person is more than their behaviour
I spent some time with Deanna Carpentier the other day and we were talking about her work with adolescents. One of her special interests in working with teens…and we’ve seen a lot of teens flock through our doors to see her. Deanna doesn’t try to be a teen…and just “being herself” works. She connects with …
The Truth about Guys
I’ve been reading The Power of Why by Amanda Lang lately…an interesting, creative book laced with interesting stories that encourage curiosity, risk taking, adventure and even mistakes as ways of developing the human spirit and furthering human development. One of the stories this book follows is Canadian Tire’s year long exploration to find out why …
Will I feel better?
One of the questions we often get asked when folks inquire about counselling with us is: “Can you make me feel better?” A fairly obvious and understandable question really, considering that generally, counselling is pursued because of some sort of distress for which relief is desired. Sabrina has some thoughts on this: Please …
Hump Day Nudge: Furry Love
I’m not what most would call a crazy, passionate animal lover. But… last night, I followed a three year old around for most of an evening on a beautiful spring day as we gently tiptoed behind a rabbit to see how close he would let us get…up and over and around three different yards, …