Monthly Archives: October 2011

The dreaded jury duty.

Posted on October 30, 2011 by

This is not meant to be a rant or a criticism of anyone who has tried to exclude themselves from jury duty.  I can’t count the number of times James and I have been asked the best way to avoid … Continue reading →

Posted in Beginnings | 4 Comments

Defence tactics.

Posted on October 27, 2011 by

For those of you not aware of a case currently in the courts in Kingston, Ontario Canada, 3 people – husband, son and second wife – are on trial for the “honour killings” of the husband’s first wife and the … Continue reading →

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The Grace of Gratitude

Posted on October 25, 2011 by

The “honour killings” of four women (the youngest 13 years old)  in 2009 was what began a conversation about gratitude with a girlfriend of mine last night.  The reality that we, with all the dysfunction that is family life, never … Continue reading →

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Adoption vs. Biological Children

Posted on October 22, 2011 by

I wrote this article while waiting to adopt Elena in the hopes that it would reach those who might be struggling with the decision of if adoption was right for them.   During our PRIDE course we heard many stories from … Continue reading →

Posted in Adoption, Hope | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Suicide

Posted on October 21, 2011 by

Teen suicide has been in the news a lot lately and has touched our lives personally this past week.   Studies show that almost every person thinks about suicide some time in their lives.  It might only be in passing, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Giving of yourself, Guilt | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Do’s and Don’ts.

Posted on October 19, 2011 by

When someone is grieving it’s very hard to know what to say or do. Feeling inadequate, powerless or uncomfortable is something I suspect most of us struggle with when faced with someone else’s grief. Here are some tips. I realize … Continue reading →

Posted in Beginnings, Giving of yourself, When it's not your loved one | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

The Joy of Silence

Posted on October 15, 2011 by

I returned home yesterday after some time away to do some writing and it was probably the first time, in almost 4 years, that I was alone with Stefanie. One of the things I did as a survival technique was … Continue reading →

Posted in Hope, Positive thoughts | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Restorative Justice

Posted on October 10, 2011 by

A year or so ago, I was contacted by the Oprah Winfrey Network to see if I would be interested in doing a piece on Restorative Justice – a way to connect the victim and their offender to repair the … Continue reading →

Posted in Guilt, When it's not your loved one | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

The affects of violence.

Posted on October 8, 2011 by

“I admire your strength. I’m still bitter and angry after all these years and not a holiday season will go by in my lifetime without me thinking about your daughter and Jane Creba and all of the other innocents whose … Continue reading →

Posted in Giving of yourself, Hope | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Grief’s gifts

Posted on October 7, 2011 by

There is a kind of shattering that happens with the death of a child, particularly a violent one.  Aside from a heart left in a million pieces, you lose a sense of who you are or what life is all … Continue reading →

Posted in Beginnings, Hope | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment