Four-letter words don’t offend me. But the one four-letter word that I have battled with is: rest. When it comes to that four-letter word my natural inclination is to resist it with the ferocity of a toddler being told to take an afternoon nap. What is it about this seemingly innocuous word that sets off […]
Friendship, Poetry and the Dance of Life: How I Deal with Grief - EP0009
As I’ve mentioned, my parents moved around a lot when I was growing up. The shortest period we stayed in one place was three months and the longest was four and a half years. When we moved to the city, where we ended up living for four and a half years, my parents told me […]
Beyond the Breakers: Facing Turmoil and Finding Peace - EP0008
When I was 5 years old my family travelled from the inland town we lived in to holiday with relatives living in Durban; a coastal city. Every evening my dad would excitedly tell us kids that we were going swimming in the sea early the next morning. My dad would wake us three kids in […]
The Soft Whisper of My Inner Voice - EP0007
My husband and I consider ourselves to be animal lovers. We have had five dogs over our twenty years together. Four of those have been rescue dogs. Rescue dogs are often mixed breeds. When adopting one, especially if it’s a puppy, you’re not quite sure what mix of breeds you’re getting. With an older dog, […]
A Childfree Perspective on Mother’s Day - EP0006
Today is Mother's Day in South Africa and other parts of the world. I, myself, have chosen the childfree option. Not a perfect term but one that is growing in society’s vocabulary. My choice means that my personal narrative is not reflected back to me in the Hallmark cards or popular cultural narrative. The first […]
My Journaling Journey - EP0005
Is it just me or does your body sometimes arrive at your destination before your mind does? You know, you’re at the beach, but your mind is running through checklists...did I pack everything, did I answer my emails, did I switch the stove off?
I’ve noticed this often happens to me. Most often when I fly somewhere. Less so when I do a road trip. Apparently on road trips my brain and body travel at the same speed. 😉
Angry Reactions and Mindful Responses - The Californian Incident - EP0004
It was a perfect Californian day. The children were swimming in the pool and the country club’s adult guests sat perfectly poised, ringside, on loungers. Bright white tennis outfits contoured firm figures and dark sunglasses hid stares, glares and the effects of the continuous stream of drinks flowing from the clubhouse.
The tipping point (between fear and bravery) - EP0003
We weren’t creating a life for someone else. We were creating the life that we want to live. It didn’t have to work for anybody else but us.
We got lost for a while. Sometimes we make decisions in life in reaction to life’s events. They seem perfectly reasonable at the time. Enough of those decisions eventually led us off course and we realised we ended up somewhere that we weren’t choosing to go. Our lives were so busy that we weren’t choosing our own path; we got knocked off course by life’s little dodgem car decisions.
Discovering that my fear comes from a place of love but doesn’t always know what’s best for me - EP0002
When I was 11 years old we moved from a town to a city. Previously, I’d walked home from school but now I was going to have to take a bus. Actually, two buses. I was to catch any bus from the bus stop outside my school and that would take me to the bus station in the middle of the city.