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Volunteer Profile: Mike and Laurie Durant
I have many favourite moments at the family forums. Especially dear to my heart is watching the new families, from their arrival on Friday nervous and unsure of what to expect, through to leaving on Sunday afternoon knowing they have found a safe haven for their grief and a second family that understands without judgement. Not to mention all the hugs I get too!
Making a difference through Steps for Life
(Posted on September 13, 2016) We have all heard that saying "one can make a difference”. Do you every wonder if that really does happen? Can just one person make a positive impact? Yes. One can. Plenty of examples show that with commitment and by taking the first...
A living, changing, special place
I've spent some time pondering, trying to come up with the reason why our garden came to be. In the early weeks after our son Jimmy's death, my mind was in a fog. Coping daily, trying to run a household and look after his younger siblings was a monumental chore. The...
Star-gazing and Signs
Up is where we find both perspective and wonder. It’s where we look, when we don’t have the answers.
Heart poems: Adrift
In her blog Heart Poems, counselling therapist Jan Falls shares poems that have touched her deeply. She writes “A gift is meant to be shared, given away to the larger world. These [poems] are gifts I have received that I want to pass on to you. Sometimes doors open...
Volunteer Family Guides: Friends Forever
Maybe the word “friend” is one we throw around a bit too loosely these days. We designate “BFF”s (best friend forever); we have “frenemies”; we “friend” and “unfriend” people on Facebook. But for all that, we know what it means to have, and to be, a real friend. The...
The effects of unrelieved stress on the body
Most people do not know how unrelieved stress affects them. The first step in managing stress is to recognize how your body reacts to it. Once you recognize this reaction, you can begin to use self-care techniques to relieve the stress.
What fills my cup
A while back I was asked to put down on paper what I had spoken about at one of our Advanced Volunteer Family Guide training sessions. This has been hard for me as I usually just say things from the heart and find it difficult to remember the details of the...
Accept, Choose, Taken Action: ACTing as our best selves
A life should be unblemished happiness, right? And if you’re not happy, then you’re not trying hard enough. “Society tells us that happiness is just within reach, if we read the right books and eat the right food,” says Registered Counselling Therapist Erin...
Shelley Rowan, an integral part of Threads of Life’s growth over the past 10 years
Shelley Rowan was one of the first members of the Threads of Life board of directors. After nearly ten years of service Shelley has decided it’s time to retire from the board. Shelley’s contributions will be missed, but she will always be a part of the Threads of Life...
How I answer when someone asks me why I would want to go to the Family Forum
This year the Atlantic Family Forum was another wonderful weekend for me, and I am sure the other families who made the trip to the South Shore of Nova Scotia would agree. We were treated to great sessions from phenomenal facilitators, great company among other families, great food and great music.
“Did you hear what I said?”
He came home from work and I asked the usual question: “How was your day?” He seemed excited as he responded “A good day”. “That’s good,” was my reply, then “are you ready for dinner?” During dinner, we sat mostly in silence – the occasional look at each other. Neither of us went into any conversation around what we had done or what had happened during our day. Later in the evening, I asked “what is wrong – you seem very quiet this evening.” “Nothing,” was the response.
