Pain is a side-effect, not the goal, and it is most certainly not a reward. I'm writing a new song. I’m unlearning self-combat and replacing it with self-compassion.
Mom and Me (and a bowl of cereal)
I am resourcing the incredible strength of character and unconditional love I’ve inherited from my mom. And I am grateful.
New Year, New Thing
Like many of us, I’ve internalized arbitrary standards of health and beauty imposed by systems and those dominant cultures that have nothing whatsoever to do with health, inclusion and love and everything to do with control, and exploitation.
A Christmas Wish
In this very strangest of years, Christmas time has come feeling – well, feeling more Christmassy – than any other has felt for me in a very long time. No decorations, no parties, no fancy dress (and let’s face it, maybe not even a shower). No mad dash shopping, no lights, no tree. I don’t … Continue reading A Christmas Wish
Feel Free to Touch
We signed in at the first stop along the tour, providing our contact information for tracing purposes, and sanitized our hands. The woman who greeted us inside said “Feel free to touch anything that catches your eye. Texture is a big part of my work.” She explained her process of using tubes of liquid clay … Continue reading Feel Free to Touch
Bluetooth Channel
Somewhere along the line yesterday, I misplaced those goddamned earbuds again. No worries, my brand new shiny Bluetooth headphones arrived yesterday as well and I am in love with them. Earbuds have their place though, and where they could have gone has been in the back of my mind all day. New Neen doesn't let … Continue reading Bluetooth Channel
Old Scars
My right eyebrow is split by a scar incurred as a young teen. One afternoon while my family was participating in a family day at the local YMCA, I took to the gym to play on the uneven parallel bars. I loved gymnastics despite being told repeatedly that I had the less than ideal body … Continue reading Old Scars
And we’ll change the world…
Fact: I did not support Jack Layton in his bid to become the leader of Canada’s New Democratic Party. I backed the runner-up, who was left far behind in the dust of Jack’s first ballot victory at convention that day in 2003. We were a small group, the runner-up backers; we fit into a single … Continue reading And we’ll change the world…
She Leaved
Confessions of a Quitter Our family camp on the north shore of Lake Superior was the landing place for creating some of my most cherished family memories. I was young and single and enjoyed the arguable status of ‘best aunt in the whole wide world’ to my two young nephews. I think proximity had a … Continue reading She Leaved
Snail mail, Frida Kahlo, and more
This morning, while tidying up a bookshelf, I found this package of postcards. It's been sitting there for years - well actually, it's been sitting somewhere for years, moving from house to house, room to room with me because I just love it. I purchased this package at the Art Gallery of Ontario (the AGO) … Continue reading Snail mail, Frida Kahlo, and more