Category: Digging Deeper

Lifting the Veil

Published on by Christine4 Comments

Through times of trial and darkness in life, there is much relief when I finally get through it and find the light. My perspectives change, my view on life changes and I’m filled with gratitude. Through that window of time when I realize that I’m blessed with renewed eyes, I’m filled with appreciation.

And then…

Routine happens.

Back to normal happens.

Half-hearted living happens.

…and that renewed sense of appreciation and gratitude fades away, until the next period of darkness envelopes life, and I wish for the light to come again, because I know that surely this time I won’t take the light for granted. And so it goes, the wheel of dark and light rolls on through life’s good and hard times.  Monotony and Gratitude switching out like the changing of the tides.

I had a moment of true gratitude this morning as I was walking my kids to school.  My daughter’s infectious giggle cut through the cold morning air as we talked and carefully made our way down the icy sidewalk, her tiny fingers intertwined with mine. My son ran a few steps ahead to assert his independence. Walking to school is routine for us, shown by the packed down and worn snowy path. It’s become so routine, that I’ve failed to notice moments of amazing that fire all around like tiny beauty synapses in time. And then it hit me. These are My kids, the kids I dreamed about having one day.  How often have I zoned out during their questions, and dismissed their stories as I was lost in the thought of all the things I need to accomplish in the day?

And the veil of monotony fell away, and I viewed our routine walk with fresh eyes filled with gratitude and appreciation. Peace washed over me and I gripped my daughter’s hand a little tighter and whispered in her ear “Tell me more”. What have I missed out on everyday when I was blinded by routine?

Miracles are all around us my friends, but sometimes they come to us through ordinary life. They happen so seamlessly and delicately that we are unaware of their presence and fail to see them. But miracles live here…if we would only lift the veil and open our eyes.

You see, kids see miracles all the time. They are fascinated with the art of living life with all of their heart and soul. They pour their positive energy into the miracle of life. And they laugh often. The type of laughter that starts at the bottom of their soul and pours out like rays of sunshine that know no boundaries.

I pray that the veil stays lifted, and I see life as it is meant to be seen. And lived. With whole-hearted gratitude and happiness. So today, I will not look around my house and see all the things I need to do, or change but rather I will appreciate this warm home that is filled with love and laughter.

My riches consist not in the extent of my possessions, but in the fewness of my wants.  ~J. Brotherton

That little moment of gratitude grew and built up strength…seeping into other thoughts: I will look in the mirror and accept my body…flaws and all, rather than wishing I could change it. I will be thankful for the friendships that I am blessed with. I will give more than I take. I will show kindness to strangers. I will accept those that I do not understand.

…and I will feel the appreciation for my children, to the very depths of my heart; just as I did on the day they were born when I finally held them in my arms after months of dreaming for that moment to come.

I hope your day is full of miracles as well.

From my thankful heart to yours,

Christine

Learning to Walk Again

Published on by Christine8 Comments

Yesterday I drug myself (inwardly kicking and screaming) to the gym for a run around the running track.  It was more for my mood than anything. The snow and cold settles in, and I fight the winter blues.

The first kilometre was a battle inwardly to get my bad attitude in check. Suck it up princess. By the second KM I found my pace, and the stress started to melt away. It was on the third KM when I noticed a man walking ahead of me in an unsteady but fiercely determined sort of way.  Directly in front of him, a woman walked backwards in support holding two canes, should he need them. His expression was full of grit and will with each step he took. Every time I passed him, my respect and awe for his fierce spirit grew.

By the fourth KM, the pain of an old running injury gripped my knee. I pushed on to finish the 5K, but I was discouraged. It took months previously for this injury to heal enough to run consistently and I wasn’t excited to go home and ice my knee.  Running is really the only cardio I enjoy. The thought of having to use an elliptical or a spin bike fills me with dread. It’s a little over dramatic, yes, but running is like therapy I swear. The time just flies by.

After I finished my run, I stood to the side of the running track catching my breath and wiping the sweat off my forehead. I noticed the man whom I had yet to speak to, but already respected, sitting on the bench with the supportive woman. He had kind eyes and a contagious smile.

He asked me how to read the chart behind him which detailed each lane’s distance, so he could figure out how far he had walked. It was only then as we were talking that I noticed he had a prosthetic leg.  He explained to me that he was taking his new leg out for a spin, as he hadn’t had it for very long.  With enough enthusiasm to light up a room, he told me he was enjoying the freedom of being able to walk again now that he is no longer confined to a wheel chair.

It hit me like a ton of bricks. Here I was running with annoyance worrying about a silly knee injury when at the very same time, this amazing man walked the same track filled with gratitude for the gift of being able to walk again.  I felt small, petty and ridiculous.

He interrupted my thoughts with a story about a girl he met as he was going through rehabilitation. She was my age and she had also lost a limb. She was filled with rage and anger over her loss, and her enraged attitude, however valid it was, negatively affected her rehabilitation. She was so focussed on her anger and the one thing that she absolutely could not change, that she lost all focus on her recovery.  He told me how bad he felt for her that she couldn’t embrace her new reality.

We talked a little more about life, and we said our good-byes. I made my way downstairs to do some weights, and I assumed he was done his exercise for the day. I can’t imagine how much energy would be required to learn to walk again. But out of the corner of my eye, there he was doing weights to build up his strength. Every station he went to, the supportive woman followed and they talked and laughed as he worked.

As I left the gym, he was still doing weights. I sat in my car in the parking lot and took a moment to soak in the lesson he had just taught me. We are blessed my friends. Every time I think there’s no time to stay active and take care of my body, I will remember him and his fierce determination. He considered the ability to walk as a gift and it just shouldn’t be taken for granted.

I hope I see you again strong, determined, full-of-the-zest-for-life man with the contagious smile. I was so wrapped up in your amazing story that I forgot to ask your name. Thank you for sharing. I will never forget you.

From my heart to yours,

Christine

Life is Good, Not Perfect

Published on by Christine13 Comments

We live in an online era where friend’s and family’s lives are visual.  Where we once met other disheveled, sleep-deprived, and frazzled Moms in school hallways, we now focus on bright shiny pictures of kid’s first days of school: perfect hair, perfect clothing, and the beautiful Mom smiling proudly beside them.

There is nothing wrong with that, I love looking at my friend’s and family’s photos they post online. I feel connected to them when life gets busy or when miles keep us apart.  The trap lies within the perfect, because really…who’s life is perfect?

I’ve fallen into the trap of envying another’s seemingly flawless life who appears to be full of fun and adventure.  It’s not the type of envy where I wish I was them, but rather I wish I had life figured out a little more!  I struggle with keeping up with my kid’s homework, sports, housework, the mountain of laundry that grows daily, photography, bake sales, picture day, and at times I forget to brush my own hair…and then I get a glimpse of another’s “perfect” life and I wonder why I can’t get it all together.  What am I doing wrong!?

That has me wondering if I portray my life to be full of roses and lollipops…I assure you the roses are often neglected and the lollipops may have hit the crumb filled floor, but it’s OK…the 5 second rule dictates it’s still edible.

I do know that I’m far too awkward to hold onto a perfect-life illusion for any amount of time. The other day I parked my bike in the school parking lot and it tipped over in the wind. I had my mail stuffed into my bike basket and I had to run around catching it while it flew in the wind. This magical moment happened as the school bell rang so I was lucky to have an audience of many adults and kids. I would have aborted the mission after a few long minutes, but the mail had my name and address on it. Why must I be so awkward?

Anywhoooo, I’m focussing on gratitude these days, which means when I say “Life is Good”, it’s usually in the midst of dealing with something difficult and well…not so good. I’m trying to appreciate the beauty that lives within everyday life despite the trials and the heart-ache that goes along with it.  We wouldn’t appreciate the good without the bad.

So let me be real here.

Take for instance this photo:

I went for a bike ride that cold day in April because I was incredibly down, life’s “it’s not fair” moments had piled up. I was angry at God because my Dad has Cancer. Minutes before I took the shadow photos, I sat on a park bench and told myself not to cry. Despite my will to keep it bottled up, I cried anyway. I took this photo because photography makes me feel better, as does exercise. It’s an emotional release that is in my control, when life is out of control.

Or how about this photo:

This was the first day of school this past September. My oldest son almost missed the bus so I could take the 1st day photo which “I HAD TO HAVE” (I actually yelled that from behind my camera).  You obviously can’t see me in this photo, but if you could, you would have averted your eyes. I was sporting mis-matched ugly PJ’s, wild tatty hair, and my mascara had made a run for it.

And lastly this photo:

This was my last day of 34. I felt anxious that day because I hadn’t accomplished what I wanted to in 34 years. I chose that necklace, because it was a gift from a dear friend and it means a lot (thank you Tawn). I got over it and embraced 35 by the next day. But on this day, I was quite insecure which I covered with a smile.  🙂

So this post is for any woman who has looked at another with envy and thought to herself “why can’t I be as put together as she is.” or “why can’t I be as confident as her?”  Chances are, she isn’t as confident or put together as she seems.

And this post is for any Mother who wishes she could be better based on the outside view of another Mom.  I’m willing to bet, she too wishes she could be a better Mom and may even look the same way at you. There is no handbook for parenting, you just do your best from one day to the next.

I try to remember this when I see a horrified Mom standing in a grocery store line while her screaming kids flail around because they want candy.  It’s in my nature to look away so I don’t embarrass her, but if it was me…I would love another Mom to say “I’ve been there. I can relate.”  There is support and kindness within empathy.

Yes life is good, but it sure isn’t perfect.  Please remember that if you ever feel less than.  We are all perfectly imperfect.

From my heart to yours,

Christine

Creating your own Peace

Published on by Christine1 Comment

I’ve been busy with all things photography lately, and although at times it’s overwhelming given all of Life’s other daily tasks, I love busy. For me, with Autumn also comes purpose.

Autumn is my favourite time of year. There is something so magical when the leaves turn and the fields come alive with the harvest. Golden sun-kissed fields fill with rolling trails of dust that hang in twilight skies with each round of the combine.

As a kid, I loved visiting my Dad as he worked in the field. My Mom used to pack a big picnic blanket along with a home-cooked meal so we could all eat together along the field’s edge. My sisters and I would stand at the end of the swath and jump up and down to get his attention.  I remember sitting on that picnic blanket and looking up at Dad who sat on an end gate, precariously balancing a warm meal on his lap while sipping steaming hot coffee from a thermos. If I close my eyes and think back to those childhood memories, the vision of warm golden sunsets over wheat fields fills me with peace. Even today, all I have to do to get that warm fuzzy feeling from home is to turn off pavement and find a gravel road to drive down.

A detour down a gravel road, with the windows down and  Sting’s “Fields of Gold” playing in the background does wonders for my Autumn havest homesickness.

I was shooting a family session the other day at their beautiful acreage. She thanked me for travelling out to their country home, and I had the feeling she believed it was an inconvenience. In all truthfulness, I couldn’t wait for the harvest drive, I loved every scenic minute of it. On the way home I passed by this landscape…

Usually when I’m in the middle of a busy shooting season, I have no desire to take personal photos; however, I’ve focused on moments lately. Moments like these pass us by all the time. It’s up to us to see them.  I knew I had to turn around and take those photos. That whole scene which I appreciated so much at that moment would have been lost to me.

We are often in the business of waiting. We spend much of our lives waiting in lines, at doctor’s offices, the bank, and the grocery store. We wait for the next stage in our lives, and when we make it there, we miss the stage that just passed us by.

There is life within the waiting.

There is life within the chaos.

There is peace in this busy life at this very moment.

I am so grateful to realize that these moments in life that bring peace are all around if I would simply take notice. Not only take notice, but create and re-created them.

The other day I went for a run along trails of green, gold, and amber; the sounds of leaves crunching under my feet as geese flew overhead leaving the promise of winter behind. I knew I loved running in the Fall, but I haven’t made the time for it lately. I wouldn’t have enjoyed the overwhelming feeling of peace that an Autumn run brought me had I not created it.

 It isn’t enough to talk about peace, one must believe it. And it isn’t enough to believe in it, one must work for it.
 – Eleanor Roosevelt

What can you do today to create your own moments of peace?

Peace is just a moment away.  Why wait for peace to come to you when you can create it?

From my heart to yours,

Christine

Waking our Inner Child

Published on by Christine3 Comments

As a family photographer, I’ve noticed an amazing quality in all children I photograph.

Children think they are awesome as is. I often say to kids during a photography session: “You are amazing” and their reply is almost always the same…”I know”.

As adults, we are often confuse confidence for vanity, but I’ve thought about beauty in a different way lately.  When you say to a child: You are beautiful or you are amazing, children interpret that very differently than we adults do.  Kids love who they are as a whole, rather than relating that comment to aesthetics.  It’s the spirit of the child that shines through. The unbridled ability to play, sing, accept others, run, dress, just as they wish. To Just Be. Children are active because they want to be!

And then somewhere along the way…we lose that ability. We are affected by outside influences that tell us what to wear, what music to like, what size we should be, etc.

Much of this is cultural, based on where we grew up.  We are fortunate to live in a country where freedom of speech and religion is a right, but our children don’t know any different, and we can take this amazing gift for granted. We are free to dream.

When we were children, we loved our body for its ability. Arms to play, hands to hold and colour with, a face that carries expression, hair to blow in the breeze on a windy day or to add 17 pony-tails to on crazy hair day at school, feet to cover with sand, and legs to run through water on a hot summer day.

And then we get older and “wiser”.  Speaking from personal struggles, there have been times in my life when I wanted to be thinner, stronger, richer, and more confident. I’ve analyzed the times in my life when I was the most confident and I’ve realized that confidence comes from self-acceptance.  Just Be. Weed out the outside influences.

Find your inner voice, your own unique sense of style, form your own opinions.  My daughter will often come to me and ask if I like the outfit she chose for the day, and I reply “Do you?” because that’s all that matters.

So maybe, just maybe, we could learn a thing or two about self-acceptance through the eyes of a child…

The child who looks at their Mom and tells her she’s the most beautiful woman in the world, even when she first wakes up in the morning sporting sticky-uppy hair and well-worn PJs.

The child who can befriend another in an instance and who accepts an invitation to play if only for a few minutes.

The child who loves who they are as is, appreciates their body for all it can do, greets each day with wonder and gratitude, and is eager to learn and grow.

The child who thinks they are just plain awesome, and who accepts others in the same way.

Let’s wake up that inner-child my friends. Self-acceptance is already within us.

Life is amazing and so are you. Have I told you that lately?!

From my heart to yours,

Christine

Thanks for the Dance

Published on by Christine4 Comments

The world can be a selfish place. What about Me? I deserve… I need… I want…

As children, our Mom taught us 6 girls to give the best of what we had to our guests, to hold doors open for strangers, to give without expecting anything in return, to be empathetic and sympathetic to others, and the golden rule. Thank you Mom, you’ve laid out the foundation of how to raise my own children.

I want to share an experience I recently had at my Nephew’s wedding. The room was decorated beautifully and we all came together dressed in our best to celebrate the deliriously happy couple.  As the wedding dance was underway, I found my way to my Mom and my sister Janice’s table. We sat together and watched the couples on the dance floor moving to the rhythm of the music, and it dawned on me that maybe Janice, who’s lived with MS for years, misses dancing. I asked her “Hey, Janice do you want to dance?” She looked at me like I was crazy, and for a second I was embarrassed…how was I going to get her on the dance floor with her limited mobility. What a stupid question!

And then, moments later, as my Aunt Sandy and I were aiding Janice to walk to a different table, Aunt Sandy says “Let’s go dance Janice!”  Janice again looked at Aunt Sandy like she was crazy, but we made our way to the dance floor.  The three of us interlace our arms around one another and just swayed together to the music. Janice giggled throughout most of it, truly enjoying herself. And then the moment hit me: I’m dancing with Janice! Several times I had to choke back my tears, as the gravity of that moment was overwhelming.  It was as if there was no one around us, just the three of us and the sound of Janice’s laughter.

It wasn’t until the song was over and we turned around that I noticed our family behind us clapping, and cheering for Janice. I will never forget that. I know there were family members who took photos, if anyone has a picture of that I would love a copy to frame so I can look at it often.

At the end of the night, as I tried in vain to get to sleep, I couldn’t stop thinking about Janice. I thought about all the times when I was so wrapped up in my own life and my own kids, that I failed to look at the world from her eyes. I didn’t think about what she must be wanting and needing and unable to achieve because of the horrible disease she lives with daily. Sometimes the one trait you struggle to handle in another person is the very same trait you struggle with as well…in this case Selfishness.  The trouble with selfishness is it’s a hard one to recognize, because one is wrapped up in their own needs, wearing blinders to others.

All you can do when you are slapped in the face with something you need to change is to learn, move forward, and make the necessary changes. Time to take the blinders off!  Once again you continue to teach me so much about life and humanity Janice.

Janice and my Daughter at the wedding

And Janice, thanks for the dance…

From my heart to yours,

Chrissy

I’m Home

Published on by Christine2 Comments

I’m often reminded to shift my perspective. Very often. Life aligns to humble and teach what is of true importance.  I’m grateful.

I long, as does every human being, to be at home wherever I find myself.
Maya Angelou

For so many years I didn’t feel like I was home. It’s difficult to describe in words, but it was a restless, incomplete feeling. I lacked direction and purpose.  Sometimes in life when one lacks direction, they will take the path of least resistance, which isn’t always the right path. Rather it’s the easiest. I used to say to my Mom when I was young “But that’s too hard” to which she replied “Who said life was easy?”

My purpose was unclear for many years, and at times it’s still unclear.  One needs purpose and direction in order to move forward though. It’s essential. I didn’t understand why my Dad didn’t sell his cattle before he started his radiation treatments.  Looking back on it now, I realize that perhaps he needed to take care of his cattle during one of the hardest times in his life.  It gave him purpose and direction while he was struggling.

So today I’m reminded of the importance of direction even if I’m unclear of which way to go!  Just put one foot in front of the other. Don’t stop searching. Keep going. Life’s direction can unfold itself when one least expects it. Don’t fear challenge, but rather embrace it. When your mind says No, that’s when  you say Yes…we are all stronger than we even realize.

Purpose is found within life’s passion. Those things in life that bring clarity, true happiness, and peace. What is it that you value most?  Often I realize the right decision for me is the one I fear the most. I fear change and the unknown and I hold back on pursuing my dreams because of that.

Courage is the most important of all the virtues, because without courage you can’t practice any other virtue consistently. You can practice any virtue erratically, but nothing consistently without courage.
Maya Angelou

During my summer holidays, I was once again humbled to my core. I was talking to my Dad and my sister Janice about how I loved that my sisters Brenda and Roxanne shared a joy for running.  My sister Brenda and her husband Mark had just left for their morning run and my Dad said to me “You know Janice was a track star in high school.”  Janice has lived with MS for many years, and because we are several years apart, I don’t remember Janice in high school.  Janice looked at me with longing in her eyes and said “Yes Chris, I used to love to run. I ran in the morning, in the afternoon, and at night! I loved to run. I miss it.”

As those words escaped her lips, I thought of the times that I had to convince myself to go for a run when I would rather be on the couch. I immediately felt small. Ungrateful. Spoiled. Selfish.

A vision of Janice flooded my mind’s eyes, her auburn hair floating in the breeze, her breathing steady, her strong legs urging her forward as her runners hit the pavement at a steady pace.  She ran simply for the joy of being able to.  At that moment, I would have given anything to give her my legs so she could run, even for one last time. I’m so sorry Janice. You teach me so much about life, and I’m so grateful to you. I love you.

“Other people are going to find healing in your wounds. Your greatest life messages and your most effective ministry will come out of your deepest hurts.”  Rick Warren

As soon as I hit publish on this post I’m going to the gym. I’m going to post an uplifting post-it note to the mirror in the change room, and then hit the running track simply because I’m able to run. And I will feel gratitude in my heart the whole time, even when it hurts and I want to stop.

I feel like I’m home now. I’ve found myself through the lessons that others have so selflessly shared with me.  I can’t tell you how much that means to me. Thank you.

From my heart to yours,

Christine

on Hope

Published on by Christine4 Comments

My facebook status today:

Dad’s last day of kicking cancer’s ass is today…the final radiation treatment. So proud of his outlook on life: full of strength and positivity. Will be celebrating with him at the lake in a few days. I’m having a “Life is great” moment!

As I pressed enter on the keyboard, my phone rang. I didn’t have to look at the number. I intuitively knew it was my Dad calling from the road as he travelled the last of the daily trips into Edmonton for radiation. Rather than the customary “Hello”, I answered the phone with  “Congratulations on your last treatment.” He replied “Yes, it’s the last one!”

And then we talked about the series of bad storms in our area, his work schedule to get ready to go to the lake, and where everyone was going to park their trailers at the lake lot.  It’s tricky planning for 4 trailers, a couple of boats, and numerous vehicles that accompany our large family at the lake. “We will make it work!” he chimed in.

As we talked about normal everyday life events, my mind wandered to the phone call we had just months earlier when Dad learned he had cancer.  Many questions and the great unknown was dropped onto his lap….and now, cancer has become a part of life. We talk about Radiation appointments like we talk about the weather.

For a brief moment, a single question invaded my mind: What about tomorrow? I pushed tomorrow out, because Dad needs today.  We all need today. The last of the radiation.  It’s a day of celebration.

This past Christmas we gathered together to celebrate Dad’s recent surgery to remove the cancerous prostate, and now in a week we’ll gather together for our yearly family lake vacation and celebrate the end of the radiation treatments. We will huddle around a roaring campfire and talk over one another with fits of laughter sprinkled throughout.

So today marks a celebration of strength for my Dad. cancer can’t take that from him. There will be no room in my mind to worry about tomorrow.  That would be giving power over to the disease. We have today. Thank you God for today!

We as a family have been given a gift.  We have HOPE and we have come together in love and support.  I have to admit a fact that I’ve been avoiding for years.  My Father and I didn’t have the strongest of relationships in the past.  The hectic pace of life took over and we didn’t talk as often as I wanted. There was always somewhere to be, or some pressing matter of greater importance to attend to.

I have to tell you my friends what I’ve learned throughout this year:

~Family is everything.

~Time is precious.

~There isn’t a right time to say “I love you.”  I no longer say good-bye at the end of a conversation with Dad. We end our talks with “I love you.”

~Today is a gift.

~Happiness is a choice.

~Positivity is a choice.

~Forgiveness is a choice.

~Hope reins supreme.

~And a quote I read the other day that is blunt, but so true: “If you keep one foot in the past and one foot in the future… you’re probably pissing all over today.” ~ author unknown

Yesterday is just that…yesterday. It’s done and it’s in the past. There’s no point in worrying about tomorrow, because we have no control over tomorrow.  But guess what my friends, we have the gift of today.

The next time you are spending time with your family and the little annoyances of life take over…the kids are arguing, your vacation isn’t going as planned, the truck breaks down, the mosquitos are eating you alive, etc. ~ Just smile and shake it off. It’s not important. It’s just part of the adventure that is life!

The true joy of life lives within love and a heart full of gratitude.  I often say Life is Good; however, today I say Life is Great. Sometimes one just has to be reminded that it’s within our control whether we allow the beauty that is life to take over and permeate our soul.

From my grateful and happy heart to yours,

Christine 🙂

On Change, Drive, and Perseverance

Published on by Christine6 Comments

For years I gave myself permission to give up. I resisted challenging myself. I fought against change. I scratched the surface of what I was truly capable of. I didn’t know what I was capable of because I never truly put in all of the effort I had to give.  I was cheating myself.  I recognize that now.

“Unless you are prepared to give up something valuable you will never be able to truly change at all, because you’ll be forever in the control of things you can’t give up.” Andy Law – Creative Company

I have a memory that I will always hold on to. I was sitting in my car outside of my work, it was 8 years ago.  It’s a memory of a thought actually. I was desperate to lose the weight I had packed on in my teens and 20’s but I didn’t know how. I thought “If only I could pay someone to teach me how to lose it. A quick fix. I don’t know how to eat a healthy and well-balanced diet. I don’t know how to work out. I just don’t know…I’m stuck here.”

The memory of the feeling attached to being “stuck” is something that I will never forget and I channel that memory every time I want to give up today.

Every time my legs scream to stop running ~ I remember, and I keep going.

Every time I want to skip a workout ~ I remember and I lace up my shoes.

Every time I believe I can’t reach a goal ~ I remember and I forge on.

That “stuck” feeling was so overpowering, that it’s the reason I won’t go back there. When I first started changing my lifestyle, I did feel like I was giving something up.  It was a way of life that I was comfortable with in many ways, even though it was destructive. It took awhile for the end picture to become visible to me, but I felt the benefits of exercise and changing my diet early on.  It’s funny how your tastes change, and they do change.

The prescription for change in regards to my lifestyle has transferred into other areas of my life that have required change.  One has to be able to give up something that they perceive as valuable.  The best part is, often down the road you realize that it wasn’t all that valuable in the first place and with healthy change comes healthy replacements carrying equal value.

I have a honeysuckle vine growing up the side of our deck.  This year it looked dead.  It was a sad mass of twisted & woven brown vine. I was surprised when I saw signs of new green growth from the bottom.  The new fresh vine has now woven its way into the dead.   I could have cut back the dead vine before the new vine made its way to the top, but I left it.  It’s symbolic. Never underestimate the power of new, the will to fight, and the drive to persevere when you think you have nothing left.  It’s within all life. Sometimes you just have to dig a little deeper to find it.

From my heart to yours,

Christine

Here’s to Different

Published on by Christine2 Comments

I stumbled across this quote today.

“If each man or woman could understand that every other human life is as full of sorrows, or joys, or base temptations, of heartaches and of remorse as his own . . . how much kinder, how much gentler he would be.”
William Allen White

You know those moments in life, when another kind soul shares an encouraging word that you will always remember?  In time, the encourager may not remember the words they’ve shared, but the receiver of encouragement will always remember and treasure those words…locking them forever in their memory to be recalled when they need it most.

Through out the years, I’ve had many of these amazing kind souls share their words of wisdom with me at times when I least expected it and when I needed it most.  One of these amazing souls happens to be my sister Roxy.  She is my second Mother.  She taught me that different is beautiful, and that it takes courage to go against status quo.  She knew who she was early on in life, where as it took me years to figure it out…I’m still figuring it out.  She had the tenacity to stand up for her beliefs.

She raised my little sister and I to love and appreciate music, live theatre, and all facets of the amazing world that is the Arts. A world of colour, imagination, depth, and diversity.  We called ourselves “The Sisters 3 Club” and we used to put on little drama productions for anyone who would watch.  My sisters and I grew up in a small town where the flair for the unique wasn’t always embraced; however, Roxy embraced different and owned it.  I always knew she would grow up to enjoy a life full of the Arts, which she has.

I grew up watching her perform at the Fringe festival, and various other productions she was part of in University. She later went on to be a Drama Instructor guiding those who share an appreciation of the Arts. Today she transforms spaces in homes to reflect who the owner is through interior design. http://www.rightathomeredesigns.com/ I’m so proud of her.

Her love for the Arts was passed on to me as well and I’ve kept many of the stubs for productions she either took me to, or that she was a part of.

One of the words of wisdom that she shared with me when I was a little girl, has stayed with me to this day, and it’s something I tell my daughter often.  While I can’t remember it verbatim, it went a little something like this….  I asked Roxy “Do you think I look nice in this outfit?”  She looked down at me and replied “Do you think you look nice?” I nodded my little girl head and she followed with “Then that’s all that matters. Wear what you want to wear. Whatever you think is beautiful, is then beautiful.”  The lesson I took from her words in relation to something as insignificant as “what should I wear” is to be the woman I want to be, and Own it.  Even if it’s different…actually, especially if it’s different.

She taught me to believe exactly what one’s heart and soul leads them to believe. The transformation of a belief morphs from a question, to a feeling of peace that comes when one follows the only path that is right for them because it’s their own truth.

So here’s to different…

Here’s to the ability to understand and appreciate others who come with a different point of view from our own. May our understanding come without judgement.

Because different is refreshing, and it not only brings about change, but it can also solidify what you know is your own truth.  That is exactly how we all grow in life.

Thank you Roxy for all you’ve done to influence and inspire me in this crazy ride we call life. I love you.

From my heart to yours,

Christine