Carolyn here: Michael Quiring, one of the therapists here, is one of my favourite people. His dad has been struggling…I’vbeen asking him about his dad’s health for years. Michael’s dad became acutely ill a few weeks ago. I spoke to him early last week…the situation was grave, and the odds were stacked against recovery, but his dad …
Parenting, Vulnerability, and Blame
I remember my brother-in-law talking about driving his wife and brand new baby home from the hospital. He said he was nervous. And tentative. And he thought about every turn of the wheel leading to a potential car crash, and he babied the gas pedal like a nervous grandma. Suddenly every car on the road …
Letter to Car: On your crapiversary
Today is the anniversary of your death–which I think is much more appropriately known as the “crapiversary” of your death. You didn’t want “to leave the party early”, and so death was most unwelcome, even as it was accepted peacefully as you looked forward to the life hereafter. I remember how devastating your death was …
Bursting the Bubble of Safety–Forgiving and Grieving
I spoke to Lauren McNabb from Global Television yesterday and she asked me the question that parents all over the city are asking, “Do we as parents need to talk to our children about the death of Cooper Nemeth?” I kinda got the feeling like she wanted me to say, “No, we should not acknowledge …
I’ve got a little list
Today is the anniversary of the engagement of Husband and I. A year since we decided to be forever friends and lifetime lovers. I’ve been reflecting on our decision to say “Yes” to each other. Marriage is a big deal for all who enter it. For some of us, who have felt the ache of …
Love’s Legacy
Husband and I are part of a care group…a bunch of folks who have decided to intentionally do life together. We meet for a dinner once a month. We ask each other honest questions and have candid conversations. We share of love and life and faith and care for each other. We pray for one another. …
I miss him like a circle
Today is my annual so-low-that-down-is-up day–I blog about it every year (here in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014). The day when we have the least amount of light, and the most amount of darkness. The day that launches a time when the days will only have more light than the day before. More light is coming…just a little bit more …
Visiting my husband’s wife’s grave
It wasn’t an easy decision for our experience of love after heartbreaking loss being on the national stage in the Globe and Mail. We thought long and hard about sharing this story. The back story of our decision, the picture featured in the article, and another perspective of the same shot, from an entirely different angle: Composting Heartbreak …
Joy and Sadness: Thoughts on the Inside Out Movie
Therapists love Inside Out, the movie that gives a window into folks’ emotions. It may be a cartoon, but there’s some well respected neuroscience in it, and the movie gives voice to the way we often talk to clients about different parts of themselves. So…we will be hearing from a couple of therapists and their …
Wasn’t washed away
I have three Junior Tribe Members that don’t live with me. On Monday, one of those JTM’s came over for supper…we caught up as we ate our meal, made snickerdoodles together–one scooping cookie dough while the other rolled the balls in the cinnamon sugar–and then watched the final game of the Stanley Cup playoffs. I …