I met Stacey Canfield while I was in San Diego, and quickly realized we were kindred spirits. She has embarked on a beautiful journey. Stacey shares:

Back in 2010, I started a movement called, Being a Soul Sitter.
It is a comforting community for people facing the loss of a loved one. It really gives that extra support—in the dying process—for the loved ones who are in the awkward position of having to say goodbye.
The book helps guide you through with a lot of practical tools.

By reading her book, “The Soul Sitter’s Handbook; What to do when a loved
one is dying”, and the wealth of information from her website (excerpt):
​
You can feel confident as a Soul Sitter.

You can learn to build a bridge that will help you cross each
challenging  experience effectively.

You can learn to receive help and support using Soul Sitter tools.

There is a path to peace with each challenging or sorrowful experience In our lives we will have the opportunity to be Soul Sitters.  
​
This will help us to understand the privilege and give you the tools
to be present, to Just Show Up. 

www.soulsitters.com

Purchase
The Soul Sitters Handbook
 here

Once a month I share one of my 7 Take Aways, the culmination of my
learning of how to live life to the fullest, learning to grieve and support others
and having “The Talk” about end of life, long before it arrives and diffusing the fear. Today I am sharing Take Away #6; Find Your Post.

As I was going through and figuring out how I wanted to empower myself
and others—I’m learning as I go along just like everyone else—I was developing
the Take Aways; having “The Talk”, being that village for everyone, just showing up for others, showing up for yourself first and structuring your life in such a
way that you were self-reliant. But I felt like something was missing.

So I went to visit 101-year-old Minnie Boyes (Minnie turned 105, March 24th 2018!!). I absolutely love Minnie. She is so wise, although she doesn’t think so.
I asked, “Minnie, what else can I share with people? How can I empower them
in life, grief and death? What is missing?” We talked for a while longer, then
she sat back and casually said, “You know, we all need a post, something we
can hang onto, no matter what, in times of despair!”

I was so excited, because that was my missing piece. We all need a Post. We all have loved ones we can rely on in times of grief (well, hopefully!), but you know, sometimes you can have a Grief Attack in the middle of the night, or five years later or just sometimes when you are alone. You need something internally
or permanent that you can hang onto.
For some people, it is religion, spirituality, yoga, meditation, music or art; something you can rely on, go to, no matter what else is going on, no
matter when, to help you in times of despair.  Nature is a wonderful post that
you can visit anytime. It’s what soothes my heart and soul. I go to Nature when
I’m happy, sad or grieving. I feel connected to something wonderful.
I encourage you to sit back and take the time to find your post,
if you haven’t already.

Find Your Post, and Hold Onto It.

I love chatting with Suzanne Witt-Foley. We were talking about mental health first aid…
and ALGEE! I asked Suzanne to explain; (full description of ALGEE below)

Suzanne: In mental health first aid, we learn a set of action steps, a "toolkit" for helping people to feel confident, comfortable and to be successful in supporting someone else.

Yvonne: In supporting you don’t have to fix it, you don’t have to be a professional!
It’s about being that community, that village for people! I think it’s just as important
as learning CPR or first aid.

Suzanne: One in three people will struggle with a mental health issue at some
point in their lives. So if it’s not you, it’s a loved one, a friend, someone close to you or
a colleague. We take CPR and value it because we might save a life. With Mental Health
First Aid you use it all the time and you could also save a life!

Yvonne: Very powerful! I’m honoured to share the following information to
learn more about Suzanne:

Hunters Bay Radio show I Just Showed Up on April 7th (then available on podcast).

Anxiety Warrior Event on April 8th in Bracebridge.
*Elke Scholz wrote Anxiety Warrior  and Anxiety Warrior 2.
Suzanne and I each contributed a chapter in the first book.
Suzanne will be sharing information on MHFA at the event.

Suzanne was a guest on my Roger’s TV Show, Real Life Talks​

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is the help provided to a person developing
a mental health problem, experiencing the worsening of an existing mental
health problem or in a mental health crisis. Just like physical first aid is
provided until medical treatment can be obtained, MHFA is given until appropriate support is found or until the crisis is resolved.
 
You can make a difference!

https://www.suzannewittfoley.com/

​I had the absolute honour of meeting Brandon Steppe while attending the
Global Influence Summit in San Diego, CA. He spoke about the incredible
David’s Harp Foundation, which he created and the founders of the summit
had chosen to support. I asked Brandon to tell me about it:

Brandon: The David’s Harp Foundation is a non-profit whose mission is to inspire,
educate and empower at-risk and homeless youth. We re-define “at-risk” to mean full of potential, but just lacking mentorship. We bring kids into this beautiful studio, and this is their home, where they get to create and learn. But they also meet influential people and mentors who can guide them in other areas of life.

Yvonne: Incredible! So what do they get to create here?
Brandon: They are having so much fun. They do a lot of hip hop, but we also
have multi-media production, photography and they’re learning post-production audio.
It’s really what they want it to be.

Yvonne: You have state-of-the-art, beautiful equipment here—which always needs funding,
of course. Tell me, what changes have you seen in the kids who come here?

Brandon: It’s crazy. You can throw a rock and hit a story around here,
because this is a place where people come to be transformed. But there are a couple
that are close to my heart; one in particular:

My “Little Sister”, I call her Livey, she was on the street 3 years ago,
refused to stay in her group home (foster care youth), continuously ran away
and refused to go to school. Her court-appointed advocate brought her here.
Within 6 months, she had a 3.87 GPA (awesome grades!), and was trading good grades
for extra studio time.

We went through ups and downs, highs and lows and going back to court.
We were there with her.

Yvonne: You just showed up. You stood by her. You don’t give up on these kids.
You give them a safe space and allow their creative genius. I love this, and thank you
so much for what you do!

We are all responsible for everyone. The more we give our at-risk youth a chance, the better off we all are. Brandon would love to see this in every community. What a wonderful movement to support and follow!

Thank you, Brandon, for loving these kids and giving them a chance!
You have Just Showed Up. You are changing lives!

*Create a life you love everyday!
*Follow your passion and purpose-It knows the way!
*Never ever ever give up!
*You never really know what you can create!
*Be Grateful!

I have finished my Rogers show with my good friend Nancy Osborne.
You are an incredible person. It was such a great show. Stars were born! You are someone who does workshops and helps others to unlock their instincts, and I will share your website www.igotthis.space.
We spoke about your important message. What would you like to share?

Nancy: We hear so much about empowering women everywhere; government slogans,
#MeToo #Times. We need to stop and think. Wait a minute…Don’t we already have power?
I think about all the things I have done, I am a powerful woman! That power is already
inside each one of us. When we talk about empowering women, we are saying we don’t
have it, but we do. Why are men born with power and women have to BE empowered?
We need to change the culture around power.

Yvonne: We need to find our own voice, and our own power within us. It is a phenomenal
way to re-frame that thought, tapping into it an owning it, and finding our voice.

Thank you Nancy for all that you do, I have shared your website, please take a look-
You will not be disappointed!
www.igotthis.space
 

I interviewed my friend, Rob Alldred-Hughes, on my radio show where he shared
his personal journey of growing up in Muskoka, having a wonderful family and friends--
but feeling like he was different.  With that often comes fear of rejection and uncertainty.

He endured bullying and kept his true self hidden until he was in his 20s.
That was when he revealed that he was gay, there were mixed reactions; some knew,
others were fearful or did not want to discuss it. I have no doubt this would be a
challenging time for anyone! Rob says he now leads a wonderful life here in Muskoka.
I add, “That’s what it’s all about, isn’t it. Once you become your true authentic self, there’s hope for a good life. Because it’s about #inclusion, #acceptance and #respect.”

Rob: “It’s about living every day for yourself and what matters is how you feel inside.
It’s about taking that time and saying, ‘this is who I am, like it or love it, here I am.’”
I agree and add that it’s about loving who you are and creating a life you love.
Rob: “And have some laughs along the way! Why not!!”
Great advice!!

Rob and Jeremy are happily married with the most beautiful daughter Gemma,
whose life is filled with love, happiness, friends, a family who adores her, a beautiful
home and an awesome dog. What more could you ask for??

Be Who You Are and Love Who You Love

I am here to proudly say that on Feb 16th, 2018, I turned 53!
I am 53 years old and I am very grateful to have been here on this earth this long.
I am grateful for the things in my life. As I celebrated it occurred to me, how often people say, “Oh don’t ask their age, that’s impolite" or people are embarrassed to say
how old they are. Why is that???

Why can’t we celebrate how old we are, whether we are 53, 63, 83 or 93?
Should we not be saying, “Wow! That’s incredible! Good for you, you’ve been here this long.” Because we all know someone who has died young and they would be more than happy to
​be 53 and have a few more wrinkles and grey hair.

Shouldn’t we be celebrating our age, no matter what it may be?
Shouldn’t we proudly announce, “I’m 53 years old, or whatever age?

So I challenge you to re-frame this thought and feel like it’s something to be proud of,
to be grateful, to celebrate each and every day. And just maybe, when you read this blog
or watch the video…why don’t you share with us, how old you are, how many years you
​get to celebrate that you have been here and you are living your life. And hopefully you are living your life to the fullest at any age!
I am 53! And I am going to be piz-zazier and blingy-er (yes, those are words) with every decade, so look out!

I encourage you to share your age and celebrate your age,
whatever it may be!!
​

 Structure Your Life in Such a Way
That You Can Live Without Each Other
 
Every month I am sharing one of my 7 Take Aways on how to live life to the fullest,
learn to grieving and support others and have “The Talk” about end of life, long before
it arrives and diffuse the fear. Today, we are looking at Take Away #5:

Structure your life in such a way that you can live without each other.

We all know the couple who were married for “100” years. The husband either became
ill or died and the wife had never paid a bill. Maybe she doesn’t even drive. Or,
the same couple, the wife becomes ill or dies and the husband has never even made a sandwich. The truth is, that used to be the way it was, “back in the day.” The man was
the one “bringing home the bacon” and the wife was the housewife. I’m not really sure
what they did when they faced end of life. But here’s the thing; couples are still doing this.
We are often totally dependent on our partners for certain things.

It’s great to have jobs that you do in your house and that your spouse has his/her own
jobs. BUT… even if the person is away, is ill or yes…dies… don’t we think that we should be able to do each other’s jobs? Why would we want to face that in a crisis? (I remember a
woman telling me that when her husband died, she had no idea how to manage her house
or live on her own. She was petrified!).

So I had to make my own decisions. I needed to empower myself. So I looked at Geordie’s
(my husband) tools and toolbox. Now I have my own cute little hammer and my own toolbox.
​I don’t even care what anyone thinks of my pink basket of tools. I have my own nails, screwdrivers AND I can also use the electric drill, thank you very much. I learned how
to operate the generator so that when the power goes out I can start it and not be a
“damsel in distress”.
Really something to think about; what is making you dependent in your house and what
could you do to change that? It is a hard way to live when you think, “Oh my goodness,
if my spouse was away, I wouldn’t be able to do a, b or c. Let’s stop doing that to each
other and to ourselves.

Structure your life in such a way that you are resilient and self-reliant. 

Last week I was at the West Parry Sound Health Centre, and connected with Jessica Caux,
a lovely young woman who works with the hospice/palliative care team.
She was instrumental in creating a beautiful space called the Reflection Room.
I wanted to learn more about it. So I asked, Jessica, what is a Reflection Room?

Jessica: A team of researchers at Saint Elizabeth Health Care developed this project called
The Reflection Room. It was created to inspire people to share their stories about their
experience with death, dying and the overall experience with grief on their journey.
It is a space created to make it OK to talk about it, OK to reflect and OK to feel those
emotions. Then, they analyze the stories and share them on their website:
www.reflectionroom.ca  and it’s great!

Yvonne: I think it’s so extraordinary! People can go to the website anytime and
share their stories! Awesome! (They can also look at creating a Reflection Room in
their community!) In my three years of hearing people’s stories researching for my book,
I realized how much people need to share these stories. But they often don’t. They don’t
know where to go or who to tell. Often loved ones are afraid to listen! I look around
and see they are beautiful stories everywhere that people have shared. Stories of love
and grief! It’s so heartwarming! What made you want to create this room?

Jessica: We live in a death-phobic society and creating this space makes it OK,
then everyone starts to jump on that train!

Yvonne: Jessica, this is music to my ears!! Thank you so much for creating this beautiful
space (with, I’m sure, a great team working together!). This is open 24/7 until
February 27th, 2018. Anyone is welcome to come by, write, reflect anytime.

Have a look at the website,  share your story, get information or maybe learn
how to create a Reflection Room in your community!

Creating space to pause, reflect
and share experiences with dying and death

www.reflectionroom.ca

I’ve had the privilege of interviewing Kevin Cutler on my Hunter’s Bay Radio Show.
Kevin is a long-time educator, and we talked about Restorative Practice which he now teaches. It’s a wonderful concept I learned about many years ago at my children’s school.

Kevin, tell you about Restorative Practice and what you teach:

Kevin: What we teach is that relationships are the key to learning, productivity and life.
And when harm is done, the purpose of discipline is not to punish, it’s to teach.
We do a lot of work with schools, any organization and families around building
community, having voice, having choice, being fair and engaging people.
We do a lot of teaching around how to facilitate effective circles, effective discussions
and use them for all these things.

Yvonne: And giving everyone a voice and a safe space!
​
Kevin: Yes. We’ve implemented this in all the schools in the area. And I’ve just
returned from Northern Quebec and the Arctic, where we worked in 14 communities
and their schools—with the Inuit Community. This practice is based on indigenous
customs and traditions. All we’ve done at IIRP (International Institute for Restorative Practices, Canada), is probably add some science and language.

Yvonne: I encourage all of you to learn more at www.canada.iirp.edu

Thank you, Kevin, for all that you do to teach this important concept,
to help build community and create a safe space for everyone!
*From the “Restorative Practices Handbook”, pg. 7

Simply put, restorative means to believe that decisions are best made and conflicts are best resolved by those most directly involved in them. The restorative practices movement seeks to develop good relationships and restore a sense of community in an increasingly disconnected world. These practices have been applied in justice systems, families, workplaces and neighbourhoods, as well as in schools.

Help end the stigma around mental illness.
It’s easier than you think!

It’s a fact: One in five Canadians will suffer from mental illness at some point in
their lifetime. One of the biggest hurdles for anyone suffering from mental illness is overcoming the stigma. It is the number one reason why two-thirds of those living
with a mental illness do not seek help.
 
According to the Mental Health Commission, on any given week, more than 500,000 Canadians are unable to go to work due to mental health problems.

5 ways you can help

  Language matters
The words you use can make all the difference. Words can help, but they can also hurt.
What would you choose?  Words to watch out for:
Not Schizo.     Person with schizophrenia.
Not Crazy.      Person with a mental illness.

  Educate yourself
Stigma has been around for a long time, and knowing the facts and myths about
mental illness can be a great way to help end the stigma. Read about facts and myths,
and become a stigma buster.

 Be Kind
Simple kindness can make a world of difference. Whether it be a smile, being a good
listener or an invitation for coffee and a chat, these simple acts of kindness can help
open up the conversation and let someone know you are there for them.
Expressions like “You’ll get over it” and “Just relax” can minimize how a person is feeling. Instead offer your support and say “I’m sorry you aren’t feeling well.”
Ask what you can do to help.

 Listen and ask
Mental illness is a very common form of human pain and suffering. Being a good
listener and asking how you can help, sometimes just even being there for people you
care about, can be the first step in recovery.

Here are a few examples of what to ask:
*I’m sorry you aren’t feeling well.
*I’ve noticed you’ve seemed down lately.
*Is everything OK?
*How can I help?

 Talk about it
Break the silence. Mental illness touches us all in some way directly or through a friend,
family member or colleague. Stories of people who have experienced mental health issues
and who are doing well can really challenge stereotypes. Most people with mental health
issues can and do recover, just by talking about it.
​Mental Health Affects Us All

 Thank you, Bell.

​letstalk.bell.ca

Every month I am sharing one of my 7 Take Aways on living life to the fullest,
learning to grieve and support others and having “The Talk” about end of life…
long before it arrives and diffusing the fear.

Today I am sharing Take Away #4; to be empowered, resilient and compassionate…

Show Up For Yourself First!

Last month I shared Just Show Up, when someone is grieving,
in crisis or facing one of life’s challenges. BUT, if we want to be able to show up for others,
we need to show up for ourselves first!

Be the very best version of yourself that you can be. This means being a great self-care giver.
If you are, you will be able to show up for others, you will be able to be that village
(Take Away #2) and if you are not a great self-care giver, you will end up needing to be cared for by others. But, if you’re not, you’re probably a lot crabbier than you think!

In our family, to remind us to be great self-care givers and for times we are grieving--
I don’t know about you, but when I am grieving, I am a hot mess (and I won’t
apologize for that!) and I can’t even think—we’ve created our Self-Care Toolboxes!

My beautiful box is filled with books, trinkets that remind me of wonderful times,
letters from patients and families and many things that make me feel better.
And really soft tissue for a good cry. I dive in when I’m having a bad day, grieving or
when I need a reminder that I have value and I need great self-care.

My children have also created their own Self-Care Toolboxes because it is so individual.
We grieve differently and different things make us feel better. And that’s ok! 
And Geordie, my husband, his is a dirty old fishing box with keys to the garage,
duct tape and not much else. But hey, hat’s all he needs. No judgement.

So if you want to be that village, if you want to be able to Just Show Up for others,

Show Up For Yourself First!

You have value, you matter and you are a gift to others when you are a great self-care giver. And a great example too! 

 
Jadyn and I did a little make up, as you can see.
It’s been -40 C with the wind chill here in #Muskoka, there have been snow days and we couldn’t go outside (well, we didn’t want to go outside!). We needed to find something to occupy us. Jadyn wanted to do my make-up for “date night”.

Jadyn: “So the theme was date night and it was going OK at first,
but then I tried liquid liner, and then all of this happened! (See photos…not good!)

Me, the mom: We just got carried away, but I have to tell you, we laughed our heads off.
We laughed really hard—Jadyn says, “Yeah, my gut hurt!” 

Sometimes you have to get a little silly, with make-up, your kids or whoever is with you.
It’s free and fun! Hopefully this make up washes off, or you will never see my in public again!

“Jadyn, thank you so much. It’s been so much fun!"

So on a freezing cold day, or any day,
 figure out how you can get silly,
have fun and laugh until your gut hurts!

I have just recorded my Hunter's Bay Radio interview with Allie Chisholm-Smith.
Allie is the founder of Ahimsa Yoga Studio and ENLIVEN (along with Joanne McLean).

Allie: ENLIVEN is an organization in Muskoka designed to help cancer patients,
their caregivers/families and healthcare providers, with issues along the cancer journey.

Yvonne: What I love the most is that you encourage people to tell their story,
as they are struggling—just being real with it—and of course, that is a big part of my message. We have to acknowledge and allow grief and be able to have these real conversations.
You support others with whatever they need; nutrition, yoga, everything… all encompassing.

Allie: Yes, support through chemo, support if you opt out of chemo… whatever you need!

Yvonne: For those with cancer, their families, caregivers, healthcare providers…everyone.
It’s extraordinary!

You and Joanne started this 2 and 1/2 years ago,
and it’s growing and changing organically. Cancer is something that affects everyone!
We can’t even say “most people.” We ALL know someone who has been diagnosed or
we have been diagnosed ourselves. This kind of support is extremely important.

I love what you are doing and will support you in any way I can.

Namaste, and thank you.

www.enlivenmuskoka.ca            www.ahimsa.ca

It’s a few days before Christmas and I just wanted to take this moment--
from my heart to yours—to wish you a very VERY Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays…  whatever that means to you!

I wish you many moments of joy. Sheryl Sandberg (COO Facebook, Author of Option B)
spoke of a gathering where they said, “All Feelings Welcome.” I think that’s wonderful.

I know that this is a hard time of year for some people. Please, ask for what you need,
​give yourself what you need. Have has much happiness as possible, despite all the rest.
Here I am in Muskoka (Canada) where it’s been snowing and we’ve been snowshoeing.
And now… it’s raining! Life is like that sometimes, isn’t it?

So all the very best, take good care of yourself and
here’s to much happiness in 2018!! 

As promised once a month I am sharing one of my 7 Take Aways for living life to
the fullest, learning to grieve and support others, and having “The Talk” about
end of life, long before it arrives and diffusing the fear.

This time I’m sharing Take Away #3; when someone is grieving… Just Show Up!
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard, “I don’t know what to do,
I don’t know what to say!” So we often avoid, don’t we? When someone is facing
a crisis, loss or someone they love died, it is awkward, it is uncomfortable.
We don’t know what to do. We don’t know what to say.

But the truth is, there is no magic formula. There is nothing we can say to fix it.
We have to allow grief. We have to feel it. It is the path to healing.
We think, “What if I remind them about what happened?” I promise, they haven’t forgotten.
It is so much better to acknowledge and just be there. Just Show Up!

How? Hug, text, sit silently, cry, walk their dog, call. Do something.
We feel so strongly and passionately about this message that we started the
I Just Showed Up Movement. I’m wearing my bracelet to remind me.
We don’t have to do anything magical. We don’t have to fix it. We just have to allow
our “human-ness!” Grief can be messy. Life can be messy. We need to be okay with that.
The truth? Grief shows no mercy. It arrives unannounced and uninvited.
It does not care what else you are going through. It does not care if you’ve had enough.
It’s a part of living and loving. But it’s worth it, and our hearts will heal (never the same, battered and scarred), if we learn to take good care of ourselves and each other.
And we learn to… Just Show Up!

www.ijustshowedup.com 
​
www.facebook.com/ijustshowedup

I just recorded my interview on Hunter’s Bay Radio with Frankie Picasso,
airing December 9th, 2017 at 8 am, then available on their podcast channel.

Frankie is one of my heroes. She is a Canadian Socialpreneur, Talk Show Host,
Champion for Change and has been helping people transform their lives for over 30 years.
She founded the Good Radio Network and she is Unstoppable!! Her Unstoppable brand
allows her to specialize in the impossible.

 She has done more in this lifetime than you can imagine, and had lost almost
everything in 2003, after a motorcycle accident. She was declared “catastrophic” which
means that more than 60% of her body has been injured. She spent months in the
hospital in pain, and lost most things in her life, except her spirit. She is unstoppable
and I am proud to share her story.

Frankie has now collaborated with Alex Okoroji, a Nigerian actress and founder of
The Naked Truth. Together they have created the “I Bared My Chest” movement,
where 21 women from around the world share their truth. This book will be
coming out soon!! I am so proud to be a part of it!

Please listen to our interview, check out www.frankiepicasso.com and
www.ibaredmychest.com and if you want to be inspired by someone, meet Frankie Picasso! 

I was at the Port Sydney Community Centre, for a wonderful Christmas celebration.
I sat across from a lady who was really struggling because she was grieving
(I am a grief magnet!). Her husband died a few months ago. She left the room and
when she came back she said, “I’m sorry I had to leave for a moment, I was having a
hard time”. I replied, “You know it’s OK to allow your grief. It’s OK to allow your tears.”
She smiled and in the next moment was having fun as everyone sang and kids ran around.
The most important message I want to share with everyone is:

It’s OK to acknowledge and allow your grief,
but it’s also OK to take grief breaks!
 
It’s OK to be a part of the festivities, even if you are grieving.
Have laughter and joy in between all the grief. Don’t ignore your grief, but certainly
take breaks from it. So, if you are grieving—you’ve had a loss, facing life’s challenges or obstacles—enjoy all the moments you can. Easier said than done? Yes, most of this is!
But it is worth the effort! If you can have laughter and joy, wonderful!
It’s all interwoven sometimes; grief, joy, laughter…it isn’t always just one or the other.
Don’t feel bad or guilty. And remember…

Take a grief break as often as possible. Enjoy every moment you can!
 
 

Today I had the privilege of speaking to some of the staff at SickKids Hospital
in Toronto. It was truly an honour. I reminded them, as I would like to remind everyone--
healthcare professionals and those who are dealing with sick children or those
with chronic illnesses—we really need to ask for what we need, and take good care
of ourselves and each other.

Show up for yourself first and then Just Show Up for others!

Reach out to your village, and be a part of that village for others.
None of us can do this alone, and certainly being at SickKids is a great reminder of that.
Go home tonight, hug your children, hug someone else’s children, or just hug whoever you can! Be SO grateful when they are healthy, let the small stuff go… it’s so unimportant.
Being at this hospital was a huge reminder of that!

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to anyone and everyone who works
with and supports sick children, their families and loved ones.
What you do is simply amazing. Thank you.

Take good care of yourselves and each other! Let’s be that Village!

As promised, once a month, I am sharing one of the 7 Take Aways, on how to live life to the fullest, learn to grieve and support others and how to have “The Talk” about end of life, long before it arrive and diffuse the fear. This month I’m sharing Take Away #2:

It takes a village to support the ill, the caregiver, the dying,
 the bereaved and each other.

Many times when someone is facing a crisis, a loss or challenge, we look to
the professionals to take over and think, “Thank goodness they’re here and the person
struggling is now in good hands.” While that may be true—we need hospice, palliative care, victim services, bereavement, counselors etc.—but we also need our village.

There are many moments/hours in the day that we need our friends, families,
neighbours and co-workers. We don’t only need professional help. When people
have addictions, chronic illness or are in the dying process (which can take months),
they may not even have that support.  One thing I’ve done is to learn more
about my neighbours. Here’s a great story:

One of our neighbours had cancer, was going through treatment and was absolutely exhausted and so was his wife (that’s not the good part!). Their winter wood was
delivered, they were overwhelmed and didn’t have the energy to pile it.

Another neighbour sent out a text saying her family was going over on Saturday
morning to pile wood for this couple, and wondered if anyone would join them.
And you know, 25 people from around the neighbourhood—some who didn’t even
know this couple--just showed up! We piled all that wood in one hour. It’s such a
great story and meant so much to this couple. We were that village!

So my question is, and I’d love you to be more observant and more aware, do you know
what your neighbour might need, or a need in your community? If we all open our eyes
and our hearts will we suffer less, when grief arrives.
 
It takes a village to support the ill, the caregiver, the dying,
 the bereaved and each other.

Julie Veitch and I just recorded our Hunter’s Bay Radio interview which was great, so fun.
We have been on a journey together for many years, but in the last three years of creating
new careers for our second act of life. 

Yvonne: Now you’re embarking on a new part of your adventure and moving to British Columbia, joining your husband Brian who left in August. Muskoka has to say goodbye, although we can stay in touch virtually. (And I let her know, I will be visiting a lot!).
On the show, we shared this magnificent Inner Core Coaching, you founded. Tell people about that, because I’m pretty proud to share. You helped my tremendously, with my transformation, from nurse to author and speaker. I couldn’t have done it without you!

Julie: And what a treat it’s been and will continue to be. More than ½ my clients have never met me in person. But I have this really intimate relationship with them. We meet virtually and it’s trans formative. In fact, it’s very convenient not to need to get out of their pajamas
and be in the comfort of their own home. I’ve been supporting women in midlife mainly, who’ve created success externally, but yet still feel this sense of unsettledness and dissatisfaction on the inside and don’t know why. They want something more for their lives and in their lives. But there are often these long-lasting emotional blocks that are getting in their way. So we work to uncover those. And the freedom and joy that emerge is amazing; women leaving toxic relationships, stepping into their dreams, change their careers….

Yvonne: I had so many “Aha” moments that I thought, “Ok, hang on, I have to slow down, and I’m having several ‘aha’ moments at once!” Working with Julie has been extraordinary—life-changing—and I encourage everyone to reach out at www.innercorecoach.com.  She is available for people all over the world and what a gift she is! I will be Skyping regularly
and we will be doing more podcasts together!

Julie: I want to say that Muskoka has been a huge catalyst for my evolution and my ability to morph my gifts into being able to sever on a broader scale. So I have a lot of gratitude for my time here and all the relationships. They will continue and grow in a new direction.

Yvonne: So on behalf of Muskoka, I wish Julie a wonderful journey out west where she will join her family! Hear our interview on HBR podcasts anytime!

As you may have guessed, it’s Halloween, 2017. My children, as always,
expected me to dress up. So I thought, “You know what? I’m going to do it!”
So I dug into the old costume box and found Thing 2.

I had a wonderful day! I went to the hospital fracture clinic (because I broke my toe,
but we’ll leave that story for another time), I hung out with the volunteers, I went to
Staples, then to our local health store, the Great Vine. Last stop was the library.

Wherever I went I said, “HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!” and tried to make people smile.
And it worked… well most of the time. Sometimes I just got a weird look,
and that made ME smile!

That’s what it’s really about, isn’t it? Making people smile!
So, if I can do this at age 52 with a broken toe, you can too.
Maybe you can dress up next year? But in the meantime…

Any chance you get, make people smile each and every day of the year!

​ 
*Most of the magic in my life has happened when my life is shattered.

*You become real when the shine wears off of life.

*Grieving with another human being is one of the most holy places to be.

*We avoid pain, but sometimes pain and grief is the place to be with people.
It’s the realest place we can be.

*I spend some time allowing my heart to be broken open for someone else.
That’s how we end up feeling connected.

*When a friend is grieving, all we have to do is be present.
If we just accepted our presence as a gift instead of always trying to find the
right thing to say, people would feel more capable of grieving with each other.

*That’s where the wisdom is born—when everything falls apart.

*You have to let everything fall apart before you find out what’s indestructible about you.

Thank you Glennon Doyle Melton for sharing your wisdom.