• Family Legacy

    Building A Life

    Do you remember finishing high school or university and wondering, now what? Up until this point in life, everything seemed so nicely laid out for you. You knew you were working toward a diploma or degree to be proud of in the end. You could count on a large friend pool to draw from and knew you’d likely meet your next date somewhere within that system. It was such a neat little package. For many of us, it was fun. Then, that time in life seems to end suddenly. You’re thrust out into the world and there’s so much life stretching out ahead of you, you’re overwhelmed. The landscape looks…

  • Family Legacy

    When Your Kids See You, Who do They See?

    Remember what it was like when we saw our parents as perfect? They were strong and never got sick. They were smart and had all the answers. They were there to encourage us during the day and calm our fears at night. I believed mine were on this earth solely for me. That’s the way it should be when you are a little person, right? But at some point, we begin to see our parents for who they really are. I started knowing Mom and Dad as people when I was 14 and they were around 40. They announced they were divorcing and that was enough for me to realize…

  • Empty Nest

    My Two New Loves

    Dear Buddy and Princess, Sorry kids, I have two new loves. When you started moving into your “big people” lives, there was plenty of room for a mom to fill and I’ve been determined to fill it with good stuff. I had to dig way back in time to reconnect with that person I was long before I had children and pull out my desire for a right-brain life. It’s in my nature that I’d fill some of that space you left behind with creative pursuits. Writing is an obvious choice for me and I don’t think the time I’ve spent with my journal or laptop has surprised anyone. But,…

  • Family Legacy

    What I Knew One Day in July 1990

    The moment I saw my baby’s face, I believed in love at first sight. My eldest niece and one of my nephews are about to become parents for the first time. Thinking about how their lives are about to change, makes me revisit that time in my own life. Becoming a new mom was my most challenging transition. Here’s what was going on for me back then. In July 1990, I was the happily married young mother of a one-year old son. While pregnant I had a romanticized vision of myself balancing home and career – just like the superwomen who had carved the path before me. However, once my…

  • Empty Nest

    Return to Dance

    I’d just added finishing touches to the Chicken Cacciatore dish I was creating. There was a cross-breeze through the open kitchen / living area of the cabin, so the heady aroma of tomato and fresh basil filled the room and wafted out the windows. As the classic Bill Withers oldie Just the Two of Us came up on my playlist, the hungry and tired Consultant came through the door. “It smells great in here!” He grabbed my hand; we smiled directly into each other’s faces and started to dance. I took the lead and twirled him before he could twirl me. When we stopped before the music ended, we laughed. Nothing…

  • Empty Nest,  Family Legacy,  Temporary Life/Travel

    What’s Your Struggle?

    Right now, I am struggling to stay focused on my writing goals. It’s that time of year again, when I pack up a few of my favorite things in preparation to head north in support of The Consultant and his work. This is the fourth summer of our temporary lifestyle and, it is starting to feel like my new normal ­– at last. The transition to this new way of life has not been easy. When we started this path in 2011, it seemed everything was a struggle. Looking back now, I can see why. Virtually everything in my life changed within four months. I left my secure full-time job…

  • Empty Nest,  Family Legacy

    Lessons From the Chick That Flew Coop

    I am thrilled to have my daughter, Princess, guest posting on my blog today. She has written from Koh Samui, Thailand. This letter is a keeper.   Dear Mom, Dad (AKA The Consultant) and Buddy, Thank you. Without all of your travel stories, shared experiences and encouragement I would have never been inspired to take this journey. As of April 1, 2014 I have been gone for seven months and I’m terribly homesick – the homesickness kicked in on about month three – but that is beside the point. You convinced me at a young age, that traveling, in some capacity, should be on every young person’s priority list. Hearing…

  • Empty Nest

    Princess Takes Flight

    “I am going to travel the world!” – Princess. In a few short weeks, Princess starts living her dream. She has been talking up this idea of world travel since before graduating high school. The only thing standing in her way, the last four years, has been her post- secondary education. I think she is doing it right. Earn the degree, and the world is her oyster. Throughout the last four years, she’s had another story running in the background. It is one of a competitive lifesaving swimmer. She has trained. Hard. Last June she achieved her goal and she was chosen for Canada’s Commonwealth Team. Uncertainties about travel plans…

  • Family Legacy

    Right-Brained Girl in a Left-Brained World

    “We are right-brained girls functioning in a left-brained world.” My eldest sister and I say that to each other all the time. Since I have reached the empty-nest stage, my aim is to do something about it. I want to unleash my right-brained, creative self. She’s been dying to get out for years. Somehow my sister and I compromised our creativity. Maybe you have too. In our society, we place the most value on practical left-brainers who work with details, invoices, numbers, formulas and statistics. We can easily grasp left-brain ideas. They are logical, don’t take as much effort to sell and quickly find supporters. We have bought into the…

  • Empty Nest,  Family Legacy

    Sometimes It’s Comfortable To Be Uncomfortable

    Life can change by stepping outside the door, at the flick of a light switch, with the buzz of a text message.  In split seconds, uncomfortable presents its self, accompanied by unknown. Some of us recognize it as fear. But fear not. Discomfort can be one of your very best friends.  It is unrealistic to believe that we can get through life feeling nothing but comfy and cozy. During those “life is good” times we hang on tight because we never know when circumstances will change. That’s life. In the empty nest stage, discomfort sneaks up on us. We can see it coming but we don’t know for sure when…