As many others are doing, I’m self-isolating. Last week, I came into contact with two people who are now being tested for COVID-19/Coronavirus. As I wait for their test results to come in and I listen to the news, I’m hyper-aware of what this could mean in all its dark and gloomy glory. I’m also …
Continue reading "Sticking Together Alone – Connecting from Self-Isolation"
One of the best ways to connect to others is to hear their stories - this breaks down our mental barriers of how we see "the other" and engages empathy. That being said, when we meet someone new, they are not necessarily going to launch into storytelling just so our pre-conceived notions of who they …
Continue reading "5 Tips for Connecting through Conversation"
It was four o’clock in the morning when my alarm went off. Despite being groggy, I was excited to grab my bags, head to the airport, and leave the coldest part of Canadian winter behind for sunny Arizona. Checking in for my flight, I pictured the destination and felt a smile take over my sleepy …
Continue reading "The Power of Kindness"
In my youth, I deeply struggled with depression. A smile and a laugh were the ultimate mask that had most people fooled, including myself. It took several years with progressing symptoms before I was actually able to look at it, name it, and want to change it. It took a shocking event to shake me, …
Continue reading "Shining a Light in Dark Places"
I could say a lot of negatives about social media, but sometimes it serves a beautiful purpose. A couple of weeks ago, I received a heartfelt message from Victoria Korsos, a woman I haven’t seen in many years. In fact the last time we saw each other we were twelve years old, graduating from Willingdon …
Continue reading "A Heartfelt Approach to Medicine"
Good friends are rare, especially those who stand the test of time. While in high school, I experienced significant bullying in the earlier grades. I attended an all-girls school which proved many of the stereotypes true: intense cliques, backstabbing, harmful group-think, and low self-esteems that resulted in higher than normal percentages of eating disorders and …
Continue reading "Friendship Heals the Heart"
In my last post My Horse Heart and Yours, I described what horse-heartedness means to me, and why I will be doing a series of audio interviews with people who also try to live by their own hearts. As a great start to this, I had the pleasure of interviewing Santi Espinosa. Santi doubles as …
Continue reading "Humour in the Heart"
The smallest horse in my barn continues to teach me the biggest lessons. It was early morning a week or so after my husband Aquila’s surgery. He was starting to regain mobility, but still far from being able to help with farm chores. I had taken time off to help him recover, but I was …
Continue reading "Bite Back to Reality"
The last couple of weeks have been tough. My husband, Aquila, had emergency surgery rendering him bedridden for several days. He has been very slowly regaining mobility. The outcome is still unclear, and we will find out more in the near future. Our struggle has felt all-encompassing and exhausting. But our stress is not what …
Continue reading "Strangers in the Night"
The night air was thin and sharp, a deep winter cold making the trees pop. It had been a long day working under horses, barely keeping enough circulation to feel my fingers as I clutched my metal farrier tools. Finally home, I sat by the woodstove, slowly thawing; I had no desire to go back …
Continue reading "A Call For Generosity"
My Horse Heart 