What fills up your cup?

You can't pour from an empty cup is a saying that's resonated with me, so much so, that I've written about my own need to fill up my cup in a prior blog post here. There are things that replenish our cups and others that deplete them. Often it's the small things that fill up our cup. A…

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Love prevails.

Today was the best day of my life, which is hard to say after having the hardest days and scariest weeks up until now. I'm only in my 30s. How do you live AFTER being at your worst? It's time to take the medication to reduce the swelling on my brain. And pills to ease the insomnia caused…

Not everyone grows old

Youth is wasted on the young. Young people often fail to realize how lucky they are. Good health. Energy. Optimism. Smiling without wrinkles. The ability to start their night out at 11PM and wake up, mere hours later, to go to work. We glamorize looking young. Our cupboards are full of anti-aging lotions and foods that will…

Living with purpose

What is my purpose? This question always plagued me because I never knew the answer. I used to think it was linked to my job, but once I got knee deep in my profession, I wasn't finding the meaning I had hoped for. When I was young, people would ask, "What do you want to…

The Placebo Effect

“It’s just the placebo effect.” The placebo effect is when you think a treatment is real, but it doesn’t actually have therapeutic value. It would be like if I bottled up my tap water and told my neighbours, “Try my fresh water. It’s natural and packed with an essential nutrient.” After drinking it, they reported…

Imagine we could prevent cancer with a vaccine

Imagine you have cancer. Imagine hearing the words. You have cancer. Imagine telling your loved ones. See the pain in their faces. Watch the tears roll down their cheeks. Imagine sitting in a small room while your doctor tells you about treatment. The procedures. The side effects. It's too much information to process in such…

Because I’m unhappy

"She seems like a really happy person." "Yes. She's always been like that." A stranger made the comment to my mom in the waiting room while I underwent my daily radiation treatment. Happiness has been a theme since childhood. When I was 13 years old, the music teacher wrote in my yearbook, "Keep smiling." At the time, I didn't…

Self-care for men

Self care is a pretty big buzz word. Take care of yourself. Identify what you need and give yourself the care to address it. Perhaps a warm bath with candles, a walk around the block, or curling up into a little ball in your basement does the trick. Or maybe a guided meditation or kicking…

Strong like the mighty oak

"Stay strong," something we say a lot to people in times of need. My friend recently told me a story about the mighty oak tree. It's power and strength make it tower over the weeping willow. We point to the two trees and say, "See there. That's strength. The mighty oak tree stands tall. Next to…

Pouring from a full glass

You can't pour from an empty glass. I've needed extra time lately to refill my cup. My loved ones have sent me thoughtful words of encouragement and special treats. I've been spoiled with love. A lot of the messages of have gone unanswered but definitely not unheard. I've struggled to respond, not because I couldn't…