Christmas is not always a joyous time for everyone, particularly for those of us who are grieving.
I write this letter for you.
I reflect on the way holidays make feelings of grief more acute, and how my family honours those we’ve lost in this time when others seem focused on celebrating.
intentional life
Ways I Am Simplifying My Life in 2024
Though I’m a workaholic, juggling so many balls while living with chronic illness has meant learning to quiet my perfectionism and be okay with letting some things go.
grief
Advent, Fog, and Beauty in the Unknown
I don’t know if I noticed the simple beauty of witnessing the first light of day at the time. The fog of grief still shrouded every corner of my mind. This trip was just another attempt to keep it from pulling me under.
I ran toward the rising of the sun.
grief
To Be Loved Completely
Time is a strange concept. It marches on while parts of me remain firmly planted in the past. It begs the question, who am I, really?
The Trap of Instagram and Social Media
It’s no secret that social media addiction impacts mental health negatively. There’s also the very real threat of your account arbitrarily being shut down by the powers-that-be, and losing all your hard work and memories in a single instant.
Learning to Ask for Help
I have this deeply rooted fear of burdening others. Growing up, there was a huge emphasis on the principle of protecting the family’s reputation and privacy, as well as living in a way so as not to owe anyone anything. This bred a culture of secrecy and distrust that has permeated my adult life.
Reconciling Workaholism with Chronic Illness
Rest has never come easily to me, and I know I’m not alone in that. In our hustle culture, rest is earned, not given.
The Case for Slow Reading
But that’s the thing, isn’t it? With that kind of speed, it’s about consumption rather than digestion. Admittedly when I’m reading quickly, I am essentially giving myself the equivalent of a Sparknotes taste before deciding to fully invest.
grief
Making a Home for Grief
I put “heal” in quotations because as grieving people know, it’s a bit of a misnomer; you don’t really heal from grief; it merely evolves as time passes. There’s also never point where you are fully free from it.
No one ever really warns you how helpless you will feel as a mother. There isn’t quite a word to describe it, but that may be the closest.
Whole
Sometimes I think about what it is to stay behind when everyone else has walked on. Because I think for most of my life I have felt like I am waiting in the town of cats, where the train keeps passing by but never stops,
