Happy Birthday

Flowers from Robin

I celebrated my 39th birthday today. As my cousin reminded me, I should REALLY enjoy this one as it is the last one in my 30's. I had an amazing day. I received more well wishes than expected, and beautiful flowers from two very special little girls, Robin and Imogen. Went to see the Lion King with my mom and then drank champagne and had dinner made for me by a very good friend who also happens to be an amazing chef! Thank you to everyone who made this day so special for me and for making me appreciate you all more than I already do!

Flowers from Imogen

My Journey..... A Work in Progress

A time comes in your life when you finally get it... when, in the midst of all your fears and insanity, you stop dead in your tracks and somewhere the voice in side your head cries out.... ENOUGH! Enough fighting and crying and blaming and struggling to hold on. Then, like a child quieting down after a tantrum, you blink back your tears and begin to look at the world through new eyes. This is your awakening.

You realize it's time to stop hoping and waiting for something to change, or for happiness, safety and security to magically appear over the next horizon. You realize that in the real world there aren't always fairy tale endings, and that any guarantee of "happily ever after" must begin with you... and in the process a sense of serenity is born of acceptance. You awaken to the fact that you are not perfect and that not everyone will always love, or appreciate or approve of who or what you are.... and that's OK. They are entitled to their own views and opinions.

You learn the importance of loving and championing yourself... and in the process a sense of new found confidence is born of self-approval. You stop complaining and blaming other people for the things they did to you - or didn't do for you - and you learn that the only thing you can really count on is the unexpected.

You learn that people don't always say what they mean or mean what they say and that not everyone will always be there for you and that everything isn't always about you.

So, you learn to stand on your own and to take care of yourself... and in the process a sense of safety and security is born of self-reliance.

You stop judging and pointing fingers and you begin to accept people as they are and to overlook their shortcomings and human frailties... and in the process a sense of peace and contentment is born of forgiveness.

You learn to open up to new worlds and different points of view. You begin reassessing and redefining who you are and what you really stand for.

You learn the difference between wanting and needing and you begin to discard the doctrines and values you've outgrown, or should never have bought into to begin with.

You learn that there is power and glory in creating and contributing and you stop maneuvering through life merely as a "consumer" looking for your next fix.

You learn that principles such as honesty and integrity are not the outdated ideals of a bygone era, but the mortar that holds together the foundation upon which you must build a life.

You learn that you don't know everything, it's not your job to save the world and that you can't teach a pig to sing. You learn that the only cross to bear is the one you choose to carry and that martyrs get burned at the stake.

Then you learn about love. You learn to look at relationships as they really are and not as you would have them be. You learn that alone does not mean lonely.

You stop trying to control people, situations and outcomes. You learn to distinguish between guilt and responsibility and the importance of setting boundaries and learning to say NO.

You also stop working so hard at putting your feelings aside, smoothing things over and ignoring your needs.

You learn that your body really is your temple. You begin to care for it and treat it with respect. You begin to eat a balanced diet, drink more water, and take more time to exercise.

You learn that being tired fuels doubt, fear, and uncertainty and so you take more time to rest. And, just as food fuels the body, laughter fuels our soul. So you take more time to laugh and to play.

You learn that, for the most part, you get in life what you believe you deserve, and that much of life truly is a self-fulfilling prophecy. 

You learn that anything worth achieving is worth working for and that wishing for something to happen is different than working toward making it happen.

More importantly, you learn that in order to achieve success you need direction, discipline and perseverance. You also learn that no one can do it all alone, and that it's OK to risk asking for help.

You learn the only thing you must truly fear is fear itself. You learn to step right into and through your fears because you know that whatever happens you can handle it and to give in to fear is to give away the right to live life on your own terms.

You learn to fight for your life and not to squander it living under a cloud of impending doom.

You learn that life isn't always fair, you don't always get what you think you deserve and that sometimes bad things happen to unsuspecting, good people... and you learn not to always take it personally.

You learn that nobody's punishing you and everything isn't always somebody's fault. It's just life happening. You learn to admit when you are wrong and to build bridges instead of walls.

You learn that negative feelings such as anger, envy and resentment must be understood and redirected or they will suffocate the life out of you and poison the universe that surrounds you.

You learn to be thankful and to take comfort in many of the simple things we take for granted, things that millions of people upon the earth can only dream about: a full refrigerator, clean running water, a soft warm bed, a long hot shower.

Then, you begin to take responsibility for yourself by yourself and you make yourself a promise to never betray yourself and to never, ever settle for less than your heart's desire.

You make it a point to keep smiling, to keep trusting, and to stay open to every wonderful possibility.

You hang a wind chime outside your window so you can listen to the wind.

Finally, with courage in your heart, you take a stand, you take a deep breath, and you begin to design the life you want to live as best you can.

         - - Author Unknown

Great Day

Today was a day filled with mixed emotions. I laughed a lot and even shed a few tears (it's okay Bianca, we won't tell anyone).
I had the privilege of spending a few hours with some of the best people I know and who I get to work with. We had to say good-bye to one of our own today. She is moving to Virgina with her family. Having so many people that I respect and enjoy spending time with made me realize how grateful I am for the wonderful things in my life. Something as simple as sitting outside on a patio (even though it was quite windy), laughing and exchanging jokes made for a great afternoon. Bianca, I will miss you but thank you for the time we spent getting to know each other. I feel honored that you called me "friend". I don't care what you say, some day I will teach your children how to "snap-dance" (a variation of Elaine from Seinfeld).

To add to an already special day, I learned that my employer, Retirement Concepts  (click here for website) sponsored me with a large sum of money and has posted this blog on their website to promote my trip and fund raising initiatives. How lucky am I? It can be found by clicking on "About Us" then going to "News Releases".  To everyone at work that has supported me so far, thank you very much. I know many of you have donated money online, and I will receive a notification every few weeks of who has donated on my behalf. Until I get those notices and can thank people personally, please know that I appreciate your generosity and support. I also received two car seats from Joti at work. These will be put to good use to help get children off the floor and be in better seating/feeding positions. Suddenly those large hockey bags look a lot smaller and that 110lb limit will be hard to stay within.

Today is a day to be grateful for friends who have come and gone, for those that are still here and for those to come. 

Bianca, I will think of you often and hope you live the happiest days.
I miss you already.

Toys for Haiti

I thought I'd take a few photos of the toys that have been donated so far. I have many more that will be coming in the weeks ahead. I have turned my home office/ spare bedroom into a Haiti supply room until I figure out a better place to keep all of the donations. Keep them coming!

Humbled.........

Through telephone calls and emails, I have learned that family and friends are helping to fund raise for my trip to Haiti. I am in awe of how quickly people are helping to gather money to support me. I had no idea that I would be this emotionally affected before even leaving Canada and months before my trip is scheduled. While I'm not a religious person, I definitely feel blessed to have so many amazing people in my life! Until I get a chance to thank everyone in person, I'll keep writing here!

Fay: Thank you so much for supporting me the way you have. I will surely thank the "Pilates Ladies" when I return for their kindness and support.

Cindy: Thank you for offering to support me all the way on the other side of the country into the US, I appreciate your support and effort to raise awareness!

Karen: Thank you for persevering and continuing to ask me if I am still interested in traveling to Haiti. You are helping to make a dream trip for me come true.

Toys are starting to come in as well. I will take pictures in the next few days to show you how my 1st hockey bag is coming along. So far, I have bubbles, large Lego, odd rubber squishy toys, foam letter and number puzzles, rubber hacky sack balls, baby spoons, and small bowls for children that can be suctioned to a table.

Now, where am I going to store all of this until November? Hmmm.............

Background Information

I have been asked to travel to Haiti from November 3-17/10 with a team of health care professionals for Team Canada Healing Hands. Healing Hands for Haiti is the American Partner. This is a dream trip for me. Long before the devastating earthquake in Haiti, I have wanted to travel to utilize my nursing skills and assist children who’s quality of life is so poor few of us can imagine.

Since January of 2003, hundreds of volunteers from across the country have travelled with teams to Haiti to provide ongoing training and therapy at one of the country’s only rehabilitation clinics. More than 20,000 pounds of rehabilitation equipment and supplies have been transported with teams. I will be responsible for bringing up to 110 lbs of equipment.

In addition to the work in Haiti, I will be asked to share my experiences and offer presentations to schools, medical and community groups in efforts to increase awareness about persons living with disabilities in the developing world. Healing Hands for Haiti is a not-for-profit organization and is not faith-based.

While in Haiti, I will have the opportunity to provide teaching, training, and hands on care in clinic and orphanage settings, and to assist in program preparation and future planning. For the most part, I will triage patients, assist physicians and assess and treat medical problems and wound care.

Haitian people are very proud. As part of their culture, they take care of loved ones in hospital which includes bathing and feeding. Often children and adults are discarded and left on the street because families become overwhelmed and do not know how to provide proper care. One of my roles will be to teach the caregivers of children in the orphanages how to care for children with a wide range of health needs (CP, hydrocephalus, Autism, Global Developmental Delay). This education is crucial so that with each mission, we are teaching new skills and creating autonomy and self-sustaining capacity.

I am required to raise approximately $3,000.00 which will be used to purchase equipment, paying salaries for Haitians and funding training/education of Haitian staff. It will also cover travel and housing costs. Any money raised that exceeds this goal, will be placed directly into existing programs but I will be “credited” with travel dollars that can be used on my next trip. I am also donating two weeks of my personal vacation time. The more money I collect, directly helps those most in need, the people of Haiti who are living in deplorable conditions. Please help me make someone’s life more meaningful and comfortable!

Thank you so much for your contribution.

http://tchh.org/

Well it hasn't even been a week since I started letting people know that I've been approved to go for two weeks in November, and already people have been so generous. My colleagues at work have offered online donations, are gathering toys and are sending well wishes. I am touched by everyone's willingness to support my endeavour.

Please visit the Team Canada Healing Hands website: tchh.org

Visit the Team Canada Healing Hands Website !!

http://www.tchh.org/index.php

Started Fundraising

I sent off a mass email today to ask for support on my trip to Haiti on November 3-17/10 with Team Canada Healing Hands for Haiti. I will need to raise approximately $3,000.00 to cover travel and housing costs. I will be submitting a new entry each week until I depart to keep everyone aware of how the fund raising and donations of toys to fill my giant two hockey bags are progressing. Once I get to Haiti, I will try to post entries as often as possible and will upload photos along the way.

Healing Hands for Haiti's mission