Behind the scenes writing...

The place where nursing, writing, and healing all come together Regardless of which version of myself seems to be leading the way  there is always a place I return; to a place where science meets soul . It’s not a destination but more of a rhythm . A rhythm that both follows me while also leading the way. I am certain that if many of you reflected on where you’ve been over the course of your life you’d recognize patterns   and synchronicities in the choices you’ve made and wh

One of my favorite exercises in the personal development world used to be writing a letter to your younger self. However… sit with that for a bit  Is that something we really want to do? Do we really want to read letters from our adult selves, giving away all the experiences, secrets, and events  that will transpire and become lessons and memories? Do we really want to have the path of our failures laid out ahead of us,  just to be told: “Don’t worry, younger version… the roa

When Words Fall Quiet Sometimes life gets so loud  not loud in the way that noises pierce your ears but loud in the way that you drive home from work and don’t remember the route you took  or what you saw.  Loud in the way your weekends are filled with gymnastics classes and grocery store runs .  Life gets loud in the way that you’re always cooking dinner but you never remember the taste of the food on your tongue. Life gets loud in the way you rush out of bed in the mornings

There is a delicate balance between personal growth, resilience that comes with it while guarding yourself. You must also try to remain open to the world. It is easy to close yourself off and pull away shut down and coast through your days while holding everyone and everything at arm’s length. Life’s challenges will season you. The hours spent in post-secondary education and post-graduate studies, with books, lectures, and papers, do not prepare you as much as experience does

Is life a test and lessons, or just is it just a long collection of memories and experiences? One thing is certain, that whatever expectations and plans you have can and will change in an instant. In those moments your perspective shifts, and your outlook influences your following actions and feelings. At the end of the day the most challenging part of change isn’t the change itself but what you decide to do, or not do next. Sometimes, life propels you into a new trajectory,

My personal fear: if someone were to see my life their initial thoughts would be “ How can you be a leader ?” Although we know that life is full of lessons and experiences designed for growth, they can still trip our steps and affect our confidence whether personal or professional. As someone who has worked in many leadership roles, as a leader we are often expected to ask the right questions, make decisions, and provide answers. That is straightforward when I am working in a

I face my second canvas, my canvas of blank slates and an endless expanse of what could be. However, this canvas is not unmarred by the influences of my past. Both canvases are imperative for balance, symmetry, and alignment. This canvas is so much more than a home for the creams and whites that drip from my brush; it is guided by yesterday’s wisdom, born from the onyx and midnight blues. I am certain in the unknown, standing before this canvas. After spending so much time fe

As I stand in front of my canvas, I’m hesitant at the finality of my dark paint. I long for the gentle pastels and brilliance of dawn to lighten my canvas. Sometimes life’s struggles feels like we are being forced to paint with colors we didn’t choose, but each stroke is our own. Perhaps it is our own choices in how we use our brush to turn adversity into wisdom and richness, that truly shapes the canvas. My canvas is awash in dark midnight blues of sleepless nights, the obsi

...life will continue to move with or without us. Like brushstrokes on a canvas, we can sweep our brushes over blank slates...

I used to run from my shadows; lock them away in little jars on clean shelves in my subconscious so they could gather dust and be forgotten and ignored. Shadows are the parts of ourselves we are uncomfortable with; we consider them to be undesirable, unlovable, and shameful. What I’ve come to realize is that my shadows are little lessons that have attached themselves to my memories, and experiences; little shadows that may run ahead of my steps in life and call my lessons int

Uncharted, undreamt unexpected pages of my future stretch before me, taunting me with their unlimited possibilities. I love change, when I decide to make the change as most of us do. We embrace it, it excites us, and promises us something better then our current circumstances. We resist change when we feel it is out of the realm of our control, when we are forced, or feel that something is being taken from us. This type of change is uncomfortable, it’s uncertainty evokes fear

Your silhouette marks the place before me, standing alongside echoes of my unsaid words I feel their pulse, the wind of every letter, consonant and vowel threatening to overtake me. Alone they mean nothing, but together have the power to stop and alter the course of time. Reverberating echoes of the words that could part from petals in a flicker of thoughts and fears. Instead they are lost in the echoes of my silence, dissolving in mist reverberating silence threatening to ov

First work on yourself; first heal yourself; wait 10 months before you start dating; wait until you lose ten pounds; wait until you take the course; wait until someone shows interest in you; wait until you have a plan; wait until you have ten thousand dollars in your savings account. The uncharted, undreamt, unexpected blank pages of my future stretch before me, taunting me with their unlimited possibilities. For the number of times I’ve either said or heard: “I will wait unt

For those of you who’ve read Memories of Me , you’ll recognize a recurring theme: unhealthy relationships. These relationships shaped a huge part of my journey, and they weren’t limited to just romantic partners. Some involved people I dated; one a deeper chapter of my life: my marriage. But what does an unhealthy relationship look like? And more importantly, what lessons can we take from them? What Defines an Unhealthy Relationship? Unhealthy relationships can come in many f

As a mother, clinical nurse specialist, certified health coach, and a newly published author, my journey has been a unique blend of caring for others, promoting wellness, and exploring the meanings of my own experiences through writing. Each role, both professional and personal intertwines, creating a holistic approach to health and healing that I am passionate about sharing with others.  In my poetry, I am honest about the parts of myself I struggle with and am still trying

Divorce is rarely straightforward, particularly mine after only a four-year marriage filled with various complexities. Throughout the relationship, although I can say we maintained a friendship, I often felt overlooked in multiple ways never prioritized over social engagements or desires, challenges with family; the list goes on. It rarely is ever just one thing. This isn't a critique of the father of my child; rather an exploration of thoughts and emotions I have suppressed.

Navigating life's highs and lows often feels like carrying the weight of the world on our shoulders. It can be challenging to distill meaningful lessons from our experiences without being swept away on an emotional roller coaster. Relationships, in particular, can lead us to question aspects of ourselves we once felt certain about our confidence, self-worth, and our true desires. 'Memories of Me' is a collection of poems that I wrote over the span of a decade. These poems ref