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Ripples of loss: Grief on the small screen and through the generations
A couple of years ago, I started to watch Heartland with my grandma. Heartland is a Canadian show filmed in Alberta. I like horses and had taken riding lessons for a few years, so it fit. One of the main characters, Ty, became my favourite. I seemed to be able to connect with his personality. He always managed to find himself in dangerous situations. He went into a coma and survived. He became a vet. Sometimes I think I want to become a vet or at least work with animals.
FamiliesConnect: Walking with you on your journey
Honestly, one of the hardest things to do when your world has been forever changed is finding ways to cope and make sense of it all – often a journey that families face on their own. It takes time. It takes
emotional & physical energy. You may be feeling alone or isolated at times.
Sharing healing through sharing a meal
Threads of Life is fortunate to have so many loyal partners who are passionate about health and safety, and share our mission.
Why Lori walks in Steps for Life (and why you should too!)
Lori Chynn’s life was forever changed in 2009 when her husband, John Pelley, a registered nurse, was killed in a helicopter crash. It was Spring 2010 when a volunteer contacted Lori about Threads of Life. The volunteer’s son was involved in a workplace tragedy and she...
What comes after inspiration?
It’s a good feeling, inspiration. We all like to feel inspired. Otherwise, why would there be so many lists of inspirational sayings, or motivational memes floating around out there? I had anthropologist Margaret Mead’s famous line posted above my desk for...
Volunteer Profile: Donna Van Bruggen
Donna Van Bruggen’s life was shattered on October 17, 2012 when her son David was killed at work. Donna began a journey to heal her own personal grief and ultimately became a champion to help others living with the aftermath of a workplace tragedy. Donna is a...
Putting 2020 behind us – Finding light to move forward
As we move into a new year, it’s important to make time to reflect, to breathe, and to focus on what is most important to you. The thing about a “beginning” of any type is that it usually also signifies the “ending” of something else. While I’m not especially sad to wave goodbye to 2020, I’m also easing my way into 2021. It’s a new year, a new day, and a new chapter, as some may say.
A Decade of Healing
One morning I woke up early, bundled up in my warm layers and headed off to work as an emergency responder, not knowing that it was the last day I would be the “old me”. I had worked all day in an Alberta winter, feeling the cold wind on my face and cursing Mother Nature for the pain of the windchill as it bit my cheeks. I was frustrated that the work day had dragged on and I just wanted to get home. Within hours everyone on that site would feel lucky that we would be able to make it home eventually. I could feel in my gut that something wasn’t right. I knew something bad was going to happen. I was unsure of what; I just knew. I would say nothing. I would regret my silence for years to come.
A Funeral in Place of a Wedding
Sean was a truck driver: it was his passion. If there was a vehicle with a motor, he would want to drive it. As soon as Sean was finished school, he got his class 1 licence and never looked back. He hauled gravel, rock, asphalt, water, and liquid sulphur just to name a few.
Vision 2020, and envisioning 2021
Vision 2020: a term to express visual acuity (the clarity or sharpness of vision). In 2019 our staff team thought the theme of ‘2020’ would be a fun one for the coming year. Our staff meeting in January 2020 held out all kinds of possibilities, including fun activities as we finalized our plans for the year. Our over-arching theme was the challenge: how do we reach 300 new family members each year? Steps for Life was ready to launch in another week. Little did we know the storm that was about to challenge us.
International Volunteer Day 2020: Together We Can Through Volunteering
On this International Volunteer Day, all of us at Threads of Life celebrate our volunteers, and express our heartfelt thanks for all you do to support the delivery of our programs, services and events. Threads of Life volunteers have always shown that Together We Can Through Volunteering, and contribute enormously to our growth and success.
That’s a wrap on the National Virtual Family Forum! Where do we go from here?
The National Virtual Family Forum was a huge learning curve for all of us! Threads of Life staff learned how to coordinate a big online event, with sessions spread over weeks. Facilitators learned how to engage participants virtually. Family members learned how to connect at a distance. And we all learned a lot about technology – good and bad.
