Writing a memoir through a legacy letter. Sharing thoughts in the form of a letter to your loved ones when you’re alive
Away in May
New experiences fire up our imaginations and give us a chance to think about things in a different way. Sparking creativity!
Stories to lead you home
When I first met Connie Genilo in Calgary a few years ago, she was dreaming about putting her story into print. Well, she’s done it and has published her memoir. Congratulations! Connie was a participant in my memoir writing class in 2015. I was teaching at the Kerby Centre, a place for seniors to meet, learn and socialize, and helping …
Art belongs to everyone
For the past five years, I’ve been part of an organization called This is My City Art Society (TMC). TMC was a non-profit organization in Calgary that matched professional artists with artists who were homeless, had addictions or were vulnerable in our society. Not only did people create wonderful art together, they created a community. This is part of TMC’s …
Firsts and forgets
I love seeing people’s “first day of school” photos (especially those of my niece and nephew). While I was home in Nova Scotia last week, Acadia University students were moving into residence, some for the first time. It has been more than 20 years since I was a student at Acadia, set on changing the world. I was going to …
Breaking up with Calgary
Dear Calgary, It’s not you, it’s me. You’ve probably heard that before but it’s true. I’m not breaking up with you today because I want to, it’s because I have to. After living in Cowtown a total of eleven years, it’s time to move on. We’ll always have our memories. When I first landed here in 1999, you were a …
The pulse of Hong Kong
“Can you get to Vancouver on Friday?” texted my friend late Wednesday night. “I can get you to from Hong Kong from there.” Ummm… “Sure!” I said, from Calgary. One perk of being self-employed is that I can work from anywhere, any time, 70 per cent of the time. Two days later, on Friday April 28, I started the …
Shared stories
Stories bind us. Words tie society together with strands of familiar narratives and shared experiences. Not all stories are happy ones but there’s value in listening to how people are dealing with tough times. You may also learn others are more like you and me than you know. I heard a lot of these types of stories when I was …
Gifts not presents
Christmas is on the horizon and for many of us, that means lots of cookies and eggnog and family time. My immediate family (and family-in-laws) don’t live close enough to us to hop over for some seasonal cheer but my husband and I consider our friends as extended family. It’s a gift we have these people in our lives in …
The Forgotten War
Nicknamed the Forgotten War, the Canadian participation in the Korean War is overshadowed by our efforts in the First and Second World Wars. I barely knew about the Korean War when I was in secondary school. My only connection to it was the names of the men who fought in that conflict being called out at every Remembrance Day ceremony …