I’ve been there. Stuck. It’s that despondent feeling that you have to put up with a life situation because change is too difficult to even contemplate. As a young parent, I was stuck. I didn’t drive. Struggling In Winter Weather. I used a stroller to push my toddler through the snow to daycare before hopping… Continue reading Being Stuck
Category: Mental Health
We Bring The Meaning
The meaning we give to an experience is unique to us. A butterfly landing on a sunflower can be a beautiful collection of colours to one person, but to another person it represents a visit from a beloved ancestor. We often believe that we know how an experience that we shared with others, effected them.… Continue reading We Bring The Meaning
We All Need Play
Play has often been reserved for children and considered something superficial once our lives are filled with grown-up concerns. As an elementary school teacher, I arranged my science lessons as play-based investigations. The students would have fun exploring stable structures and quickly learn how to create a secure base with the materials. However, play is… Continue reading We All Need Play
Beyond The Grocery List: An Antidote To Over-Thinking
I love a list! They give me that sense of accomplishment and organize my day. When I was teaching, I used them all the time to keep track of the vast number of things I needed to do in a day. As I try to make decisions about my next steps after retiring, I often… Continue reading Beyond The Grocery List: An Antidote To Over-Thinking
“You Are Not Alone”
“You are not alone.” This is one of the most powerful statements I’ve ever heard. Knowing that my experience and struggles are shared by others, brings us all into a community. We share the same challenges and therefore feel less isolated. We don’t even need to talk to each other. Just knowing that we exist… Continue reading “You Are Not Alone”
No News Is Good News
My mother has a saying that applies to people who are far away from us, “No news is good news.” It implies that if the news about our loved ones is bad, we will hear about it. Bad news travels quickly and good news does not. Therefore, no news means they are safe. These days… Continue reading No News Is Good News
To Label Or Not To Label
Being kind to others involves letting them do their own self-discoveries. As a teacher, I was able to read my students fairly well. It would take only a few moments after meeting my class in September, to realize which kids might need extra support. It’s a skill teachers develop over time, after interacting with many… Continue reading To Label Or Not To Label
Becoming Aware Of Knowledge
Sometimes you don’t know what you don’t know. Until you come up against new information, you have no idea that you were ignorant. Sure, there are subjects that I can confidently say that I know nothing about: engineering, haute couture, mining, and the history of Malaysia, to name just a very few. I’m comfortable knowing… Continue reading Becoming Aware Of Knowledge
Granny Secrets
I learned to crochet during lockdown. Along with a lot of other people, I found the repetitive motions, soft textures and cheerful colours a welcome sanctuary from the extreme stress of the news. Why does crocheting sooth my brain? Sensory Activities For Students. Crocheting is among some of the recommended sensory activities that can help… Continue reading Granny Secrets
Why Does Your Foot Like Your Mouth?
So many times in my life, the words that have come out of my mouth have not expressed the intention in my brain. There is immediate regret or embarrassment because the words have been harsh, or awkward, or just plain opposite to what I intended. I’ve cut people off, sounded ungrateful and appeared to celebrate… Continue reading Why Does Your Foot Like Your Mouth?
