At 35 years old, Bill has discovered he is as comfortable sleeping in a hospital bed as in his own bed at home. This is because, before he was two years old, he was diagnosed with a rare genetic condition called homozygous-familial-hypercholesterolemia which meant weekly hospital visits. He was the youngest person in North America to have a triple …

While supporting his sister during her cancer journey and before writing his book, Cycle of Lives, David learned a lot. Some of these included how much support there was for the concrete tasks of dealing with a cancer diagnosis but how little resources were available for the emotional side of things and how ill-prepared people were to face the emot…

Following her high school graduation, Noramy studied education in pursuit of her dream to become a teacher. Then, as it often does, life happened and the direction of the path changed. Facing mental health issues head on in those early post-secondary years meant learning the hard lesson of asking for support. Noramy needed to remember that lesson e…

When looking back on her life, Erica realized that during some of the most difficult times in her life, she was not writing or creating. After navigating a very challenging year of debilitating physical pain stemming from a mental health condition, Erica now sees how beneficial writing can be to process emotions and to connect with ourselves and ot…

Carly’s early experiences with crippling panic attacks along with an obsessive need to do what was expected of her found her with a university degree and married with children at a young age but struggling. Back when the panic attacks were common, Carly didn’t really see any helpful resources especially when a doctor suggested medication for her an…

Monika exudes genuine warmth and joy that easily translates into the welcoming atmosphere she’s created at her stylish, organic salon. Along with her talented and supportive team of stylists, Monika has graciously and courageously managed the roller-coaster of pandemic shutdowns and re-openings over the past year. In reflecting on her past losses a…

Micaela was only nineteen when her father was diagnosed with terminal cancer and this was only one of “big events'' in her life that helped her learn how to face difficult times that would follow. Along with the perspective she gained before leaving home, she also discovered the power of foundational habits. Years later, as she prepared to give bir…

Jennie is no stranger to grief but she’d be the first to say that it doesn’t define her. After the loss of her college roommate to cancer, she realized that stuffing her emotions while focusing primarily on service to others wasn’t working for her in the long term. In light of the emotional toll that the loss took on her emotional and mental health…

Lisa is grateful for her parents who inspired her to develop a strong work ethic and a confidence to rely on her own ability. The self-reliance she developed growing up is balanced with a belief in the power of making and keeping real connections. Lisa believes that being real with others is one of her key strengths and is vital for keeping her rel…

Barb has been running since she was 10 years old and has a lifetime of lessons and insights that have come from listening to her body’s wisdom through that practice. Running provided her with a mechanism to help work through adverse emotions and even positive ones. It became a way to deal with life even when the physical act of running didn’t alway…

Sheri notes how the pandemic is shaking up big systems like health-care, religious organizations and education. One example from education that she shares is how some students are flourishing with online learning so she hopes that the needs of these particular students will be addressed when things return to face-to-face learning. For new teachers,…

As an Early Childhood Educator in a pandemic year, Melissa has been learning to keep the chaos of so many unknowns to herself and exude a calmness to support her young students. This is important as working with toddlers is much different than it is with older students. Toddlers may not have the language to express how they are feeling with all of …

Blessed to have encountered many teachers who had a transformational impact on her, Maria recalls how two specific teachers inspired her towards a deeper sense of self-awareness, learning to trust in her body’s wisdom and encouraging her to become more attuned to her students as an educator. In the spring of 2020, Maria adapted the teaching methods…

Back in September, Mary recalls how the anxiety around the social distancing and hygiene protocols, including the multiple layers of PPE, made it stressful to meet the students where they were at. She says that “it was so hard to not be right beside the child!” and that the “kids need us to be right beside them”. To ease the distance, Mary was cons…

Teaching had always been a back-up plan after a senior high school math teacher suggested she’d be good at it. But that suggestion stayed with Kathleen as she gravitated toward training and teaching roles in other jobs. Her areas of strengths include adaptability and creativity to help students in ways that she hasn’t had to before. She realizes no…

After a decade out of the classroom, Gwen was unsure of what she’d be teaching until the week before classes started. The stress caused by the disorganized and constantly changing return-to-school plan had to be met head on with the calm resiliency that she has honed over the years. Those years included teaching kindergarten to Gr 8 with a range of…

Derrick and Andrea are a study in contrasts! One loves to have things planned out, one not so much. One works in STEM and misses the regular interaction with colleagues while the other works in a congregated class with multiple EA’s in the classroom each day. One works in a public board and one in an independent school. Join us for this beautiful c…

Linda‘s memorable mentor was an English teacher who challenged students with her incredibly high standards. But the true inspiration for becoming an educator wasn’t necessarily this or other influential teachers. This turned out to me Linda’s father was a school principal who also ran a family summer camp where Linda discovered her love of working …

Lori loved school and is grateful for so many positive educators who cared deeply for students and made learning fun while excelling at teaching. As she regularly deals with students and their trauma in her work, she realizes now that she also has to resource herself to continue to support those students in the school year ahead. In the face of the…

Kim recalls her Grade 10 French teacher treating her students like they truly mattered and that has stuck with her all these years. As she works with the educators in her school now, she values her relationships with them and lets them know they are an important part of the team. She is a direct, well-organized educator who knows that this school y…

Carolina leans heavily on the memory of her ancestors to work through challenging times. She knows that they experienced events like wars, pandemics so she takes strength from their best practices when dealing with the school year ahead. But she also stresses the need for kindness towards others since we all deal with hard times in our own way. She…

Kimiko firmly believes that educators are experts at making impossible situations work and who want to put wellness before curriculum so they can simply meet students where they’re at during this pandemic school year. She also believes that educators need to prioritize taking care of themselves, reaching out for help and supporting each other as th…