Swagger with grace

Tania

When I first started my career, I learned a very valuable lesson about working with difficult youth. I was taught that I should think about youth like an ATM machine and I should never try to take out more than I put in. By far that has been the best lesson that I learned about my work and oddly about any relationship, especially those annoyingly intense intimate ones.

Always Against the Odds

First deficit, I am a woman who loves to take care of people. Second, I am independent and like to do things for myself. Third, I can spend years in the emotional deprivation zone and function just fine. Hell, I was married in one for 16 years. So interestingly enough it is quite easy for someone like me to become more like an emotional soup kitchen for people who can’t or won’t invest anything into what I need or want and that means disaster eventually.

Tania

I wrote a letter to God last night and asked him to forgive me for my humanity. I found myself in a very familiar holding pattern of having my kindness and my deep love being used to hurt me. I’m sorry that I can’t always be the bigger person but sometimes there are very critical times in life where my head is on a chopping block (my term for vulnerability) and people gladly swing the ax. Sadly, I am no longer willing to hope that I am the “exception” because I know that I am worth it and I am exceptional.

Thanks For the Perspective

Tania

Entering the world of dating, relationships, and sex after spending most of my life with the same man has its ups and downs. Sure it is fun to think about the new opportunities and experiences that life has to offer but there are four elephants in the room. I have four kids who will always come first.

No Uncles

I have spent the last 18 months making sure that they would not have to endure the pain meeting any “Uncle’s” until I was sure of two things: They were ready and I met someone that was worth meeting them. Needless to say, they haven’t met anybody yet. But I have spent a lot of time putting my toes in the puddles and thinking about some of what Mr. Txtulater has written about women who end up wanting more than they can have. So today I am going to flip it a little and write about women who date with their children as a priority.

Sonya

Many people, including myself, check the weather every day. Some days its 23 and we breathe a sigh of relief or dismay, depending on your particular preference. Saskatchewan people, always a hardy animal, can get temperatures from -12 to -32 in hours and hardly blink. Let’s not forget the wind-chill…how common it is to hear the weather announced “Its -33 today, but it FEELS LIKE -47 with the wind chill” and know how to adjust to it within minutes.

We Adapt To Harsh Climates

On the whole, we are able to wake up and look outside. We react to it, and some days it may challenge our motivations, make us want to pad silently down hallways and snuggle into still warm blankets, and some days we even can do just that.  Many people get up and head out into the world just the same.