Author: Welcoming Wellness

There is something about the end of May that feels unfinished. School is out. Summer is here, technically. The streets are quieter in the mornings and louder in the afternoons. The work is still there, lingering in emails, in deadlines, in the quiet fatigue held in the body. And yet, the light has changed. The…

If you have been reading this column for a while, you already know I struggle with depression. I have written around it, written through it, and occasionally written directly at it. Today I want to write about what happens when the season turns, and the light comes back, because May has always been the month that reaches…

As the snow melts and temperatures rise, gardeners eagerly anticipate the growing season. One of the most crucial steps to ensure a productive garden is proper soil preparation. Healthy soil sets the foundation for strong plants, increased yields and reduced maintenance throughout the season. Many beneficial insects, such as solitary bees, butterflies and ladybugs, rely…

It has been almost a year since I stepped away from a career that shaped nearly two decades of my life. Seventeen years of classrooms, curriculum design, early mornings, late-night emails, and the steady rhythm of being needed in a way that was visible and measurable. When I left, I braced myself for longing. I…

How many of us are living on cruise control? Not thriving. Not struggling, exactly. Just … moving. Getting through days rather than living them. Ticking boxes. Showing up. Going through motions that used to mean something but now just feel like motions. I didn’t notice when it started. That’s the thing about cruise control. You…

January is the month that tells the truth. December distracts us with sparkle and obligation, but January removes the decorations, lowers the volume, and leaves us alone with ourselves. No soundtrack. No script. Just us, standing in the kitchen, wondering who we are now that the calendar has flipped. This January feels particularly honest for…

Loving an addicted child from a distance December tries very hard to convince us that life should sparkle. The world presents a polished, cheerful version of the holidays, as though a few twinkle lights and familiar songs can smooth over heartbreak, fear, or the unmistakable ache of loving someone who feels painfully out of reach.…

Hard to believe, isn’t it? One minute I’m basking in Kamloops sunshine, smugly sipping iced lattes on patios, and the next — boom — it’s dark at 6 p.m., I’m wrapped in three sweaters, and I’ve started having dinner at what can only be described as “senior citizen hour.” Yes, friends, it’s that peculiar time…

I went to the BC Senior Games in Nanaimo thinking I’d see a little friendly competition, maybe clap politely, and then head home to reward myself with a Nanaimo bar. What I did not expect was to be body-slammed by inspiration courtesy of two women who could outswim, outsing, and outlive us all. First, a…

Dispatches from the 38-degree summer burnout zone It was 38°C by mid-afternoon, and I was already Googling “Can sweat fatigue be fatal?” My phone was stuck to my palm. My inner thighs had fused. The air smelled faintly of wildfire smoke and broken dreams. Somewhere between the endless sun and the pressure to make the…