A Note of Appreciation -The Ultimate Gift

My first morning of a new school year, in my first job as a qualified teacher, is a day I will never forget. 

As I was plastering the pin-boards with encouraging posters, a parent stood looming in the doorway. I don't remember the whole conversation but her final sentence is permanently etched in my memory. Having told me that she was a member of the school board and that her daughter Naomi would be in my class, she concluded sternly…

Rings of Comfort- Tokens For Remembering What's Important.

A few weeks before winter break I received an email from Cameron, my guest blogger this week. He had found my blog and identified with many of the posts, because he has been a caregiver for  his wife Heather  since 2005. Heather was diagnosed with Mesothelioma* cancer at the age of 36, after having  given birth to their only child just three months earlier. She was given tough treatment choices and after surgery and chemotherapy, went on to beat all the odds. 

Heather's story is remarkable, as is her zest for living and her determination to love the life she has. 

But so is Cameron's..... 

Snow - How to Find a New Perspective on an Old Problem.

Snowy Elstree, UK by Sara E via FB

I want to introduce you to my friend Jo who lives in England. Jo's husband is in his 70s and has had trigeminal neuralgia* for 7 years.  Jo and I 'met' when she stumbled upon my blog. We have emailed back and forth and I have certainly gained strength, insight and tremendous support from my new pen pal and our growing virtual friendship. 

One of the things we have discussed a number of times,

It's Time to Take Care of Yourself - Here's How.

Have you ever felt weary, so weary that your limbs feel heavy, your bones ache and your brain is tired of thinking so hard? 

You don't know where that feeling came from or when it began. 

You know it has been lurking, sending you subtle messages that you are so damn tired you need to stop.

But you didn't listen....

Confessions From a Hospital Waiting Room

I am sitting in a hospital waiting room (again) waiting for my son Benjy to come out of surgery (again). This is the 8th time in the last 4 years that I have waited for my husband or one of my sons to come out of a general anaesthetic, from procedures as routine as wisdom teeth removal to complicated heart and brain surgery. 

You'd think it would be easier each time. 

But no. It is not.