Poem: Lost Weight

You look at meAssessing and wondering.You ask,“Have you lost weight?”You say,“You look good!”I know you mean wellSo I speak softly“Yes”, I answer,Hoping affirming a factWill end this inquiry;“Thank you”, I respond,Hoping an acknowledgementWill stop this from going further.I have lost weightI am more muscledPhysically healthier than ever before.Yet this is not causeFor celebration or credit;TooContinue reading “Poem: Lost Weight”

Poem: Going Through The Motions

Guts clenchHeart achesEyes waterCold loneliness fills my soul.Pain is my constant companion.I question what a life is worthThat is so lonely;When all who I loveI must let go of too soon;When none whom I loveLove me the same.Yet I am not readyTo give up just yet.So I wake and I showerI eat and I drinkIContinue reading “Poem: Going Through The Motions”

Poem: Struggling These Days

I am struggling these daysConstant ache in my gutConstant fist squeezing my heart.Fighting back tearsMore often than e’er before;Chills coursing down my spinAt all times of the day.My grip is slippingIt’s harder and harderTo find hope;To trust in faith;To believe myselfLovable and worthy of love.I knowFriends and family are onlyA phone call awayYet I can’tContinue reading “Poem: Struggling These Days”

Day by Day: On Anxiety, Depression and Hope

34 “So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” –Matthew 6:34 (NRSV) I’ve been reflecting on these words recently, spoken by Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew today. I will share my musings in the hope that they bring some peace and hope toContinue reading “Day by Day: On Anxiety, Depression and Hope”

The Danger Of Full Solar Spirituality

I’ve been doing some reading of late, and I’m seeing a number of convergent messages. Recently, Mary Trump, the niece of Donald Trump, published her memoir Too Much and Not Enough: How My Family Created The World’s Most Dangerous Man that was revealing of the family structures in the immediate Trump family that shaped DonaldContinue reading “The Danger Of Full Solar Spirituality”

On Highs and Lows

The counselor looked me in the eye with great understanding as she said that I would probably have ups and downs, like a rollercoaster, for the rest of my life. There would be times I would be depressed, and there were times I wouldn’t, but they’d alternate throughout my life. This was 10 years agoContinue reading “On Highs and Lows”

On The Stockdale Paradox

I have a confession to make: I am finding it hard to find balance in my life these days, especially when living with my parents and having so many different demands on my time pulling me in too many directions. This morning, the reality is sinking in that I’m heading back down to Guelph inContinue reading “On The Stockdale Paradox”

Living In The Pandemic: An Autistic’s POV

This pandemic hasn’t been easy on anyone. We all long for it to be over, or at the very least for some semblance of certainty and routine to be established. Yet over a month in, I’ve been noticing ways that I, as an autistic person, have some challenges that might be worth sharing. So withoutContinue reading “Living In The Pandemic: An Autistic’s POV”

Keys To Resiliency: Hope, Joy, and The Next Right Step

I have a confession: the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic is really getting to me. The uncertainty of how long this will last, the disruption of normal routines, the lack of control over how this affects my life…all of these present unique and unprecedented challenges, at least to me. Yet what I do have extensiveContinue reading “Keys To Resiliency: Hope, Joy, and The Next Right Step”

On Mental Health: Tips, Tricks and Advice

This post is inspired by Bell Let’s Talk Day. I acknowledge it’s problematic, as Bell’s corporate culture does not adequately support mental health, and talking about mental health one day a year does not undo stigma and marginalization the rest of the year–but I also do think the hashtag should be utilized for the fundingContinue reading “On Mental Health: Tips, Tricks and Advice”