Journal Entries

My Mother’s Day

You may be thinking to yourself, Mother’s Day was last weekend? May 8th? But you’d be misinterpreting. Today, my mom put herself first. After many, many years of putting others above her, today she is first. Today is my mother’s day.

After 20 years of working as town manager for the municipal council in St. Lewis, today is her last day of work. Over the course of those years she has seen many beneficial town projects come to fruition. One of which is the new town hall, which should be completed this summer. Her only regret is that she won’t be able to work in it.

Recently my mother was told that she has three (3!) different forms of arthritis. I can’t say I personally know what this feels like, but from the account of many people that I know, arthritis in any form is no walk in the park. This type of diagnosis, along with being a type-two diabetic, leaves my mom with little option for a safe, healthy, and manageable working life. With me by her side at the hospital, her doctor told her that she should cease working in order to better manage her pain and allow her a better quality of life.

This didn’t come as a surprise to either of us, and now that the decision has been made, our family can work together on a plan to move forward in life.

I hope that a new pain management plan will help make her life easier, along with less stress from not having to worry about the woes of managing a town and its (sometimes) naysayers. I am sure that my moms talent and positive and welcoming personality will be missed by those who took the time to appreciate it.

Mom, I hope that now you take the time to go at your own pace. To wake up when you want, to craft when your hands will allow you to, and to enjoy every ounce of life that was once taken up by worrying about other people. For once in your life, I hope you are selfish, and that every day, is mother’s day.

Love,
M.

Earth Day

Journal Entries

It’s Earth Day 2022! I took some time to reflect on what ways I #InvestInOurPlanet and it turns out, there are a lot of ways! Some things come second nature as an Indigenous person still living in the territory I was raised in. Indigenous people all over the world are the original stewards of the land (OG, if you wanna feel fancy). Sustaining ourselves by using the natural elements provided by land, sea, and sky, and respecting that relationship, is what helps us thrive today.

Here are some things that I routinely do to lessen the burden on mother earth:

Thrifted clothing – swap system. I purchase second hand when available. If I buy something new, I donate several existing items from my closet to those in need.

Use reusable straws – This one was a no-brainer, but most of the time I don’t use straws at all!

BYOB – Invested in a good water bottle and refill with tap water vs. buy bottled water.

Consuming wild-foods and preserves – Regularly blessed with food from the land from my family. This could mean bottled jam, pickles, beets, moose, smoked salmon, salt cod, etc.

Using reusable bags – Also a no-brainer! Less waste in the landfill, and if they get dirty, you just wash them out and air dry!

Auto-shut off in my SUV – My Trailblazer has an auto-shutoff function that will kill the engine when idling for extended periods of time!

Turning off the lights in unoccupied rooms – Ghosts aren’t afraid of the dark… 😉

Using locally made bath and body products – I see you Spruced Up with your shampoo bars and bath bombs!

Recycling – We recycle all possible forms of bottles/cans. Unfortunately my area does not have a paper/cardboard recycling program as of yet.

Reusing – Whenever purchased items or gifts are packaged in something that can be utilized in an alternate way, we like that! i.e., that plastic heart shaped chocolate box? It holds jewellery now! The wooden crate that clementines arrived in? Keeps select books grouped together!

Crafting – Instead of buying cheaply made plastic products, I try my best to use materials I already own or can be locally sourced to create handmade gifts.

There are tons little ways that you can help the environment, and once you start, you really don’t even notice you’re doing it. How will you #InvestInOurPlanet?

Love,
M.

blood memory

Journal Entries

our bodies are pockets of bone and flesh
when we step on the land our feet feel the dirt beneath us
but our blood and our soul feels what others have felt before us

the treeless forest
the empty stream
the birdless sky
the unpollinated flower
the rotted walkway
the abandoned homestead
the fading paint
the rusted anchors
______

the shiny new anchor
the fresh green paint
the lively, laughter filled homestead
the brand new wood cut walkway
the bee seated flower
the songbird sky
the fish flicking flowing stream
the towering evergreen

What sounds better to you?