1 in 26

Epilepsy has been my friend for 60 years. Not so friendly in the first 10 years, but as I learned more about myself, this condition and the medications that I was taking I found strategies that were respectful of the effects of epilepsy. Being a loner, an introvert, I learned I am just someone who feels more comfortable in small groups. I learned to say no to many things, or always knew when it was time to get quiet. I have not tried to chase epilepsy out of my brain - not possible. I’ve read literature about surgical removal of epilepsy and found that it is more complex than just having surgery. Suffice it to say it’s not like fixing a broken arm or leg.

Today is Purple Day for Epilepsy Awareness. I need to be aware of, and respect, the possibility of seizure activity every day. Now we are quite comfortable with each other. However I know that as the 60 years since diagnosis becomes 61 and onwards, who knows whether our comfort level will change. After all my joints have gotten fussier over the years, why not my brain? 

“Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’ possible; 

and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”

~ Francis of Assisi

*Author’s note: 1 in 26 is the most recent statistic about the incidence of individuals with epilepsy.

A Grand Scheme!

Enthused about 2026 ~

the new year rolls ahead. 

Politics and all the 

frightening potential of it ~

pushed aside in the day to day!

What I want to learn; 

how I want my life to be 

in this wintery world is exciting. 

Music, languages, 

more books to read, 

development of writing projects, 

advancing into a community of writers

adding another fitness regimen so 

the menu I have spread before me 

can be tasted, sampled and enjoyed. 

My potential:

To learn

  To grow

    To have fun! 

  “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.    

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson 

Each Unique Life

Uniquely shaped ~

each life its own. 

We are the sculptor, with 

many teachers along the way

where we came from ~

prairie or mountain, 

city or town, 

farm or village, 

poverty or abundance

who taught us how to be

grandparents, our parents, 

uncles and aunts, 

cousins and playmates

storekeepers and teachers 

the lady in the post office or

the man who repaired cars

when we were able to learn,

at any time in our life’s path,

we choose from tools on display

to create our own unique lives.

“You may not control all the events that happen to you, 

but you can decide not to be reduced by them.”

~ Maya Angelou

Learning to Write

Writing ~

Stringing words together 

from the pull of a theme or story gleaned from stray thoughts or deep commitment. 

Logical thought is useful 

for an outline, 

story paints the picture

but those stray thoughts

find where deep commitment lives.

“A writer is someone who has taught his mind to misbehave.”

~ Oscar Wilde

Life’s a Trip!

Training wheels for a while 

until time to be brave, 

maybe a wee bit foolhardy, 

then to push life’s pedals ~ 

no matter cracks 

in the sidewalk.

“If you wait until you’re really sure, 

you’ll never take off the training wheels.”

~ Cynthia Lewis, author

Murphy's law vs Yoda ~ UNCERTAINTY ~ Theme For September 2021

Murphy’s Law vs Yoda

Unless I can see what I do not know…….

Nervous, I wait for the other shoe to drop....

Chances are, if the other shoe did drop…….

Every time uncertainty looms, I know the very worst.....

Really! And how do I know? Because.....

Theory:‘if anything can go wrong, it will’...

And ‘nothing is as easy as it looks’……

Interesting. ‘Everything takes longer than you think it will’…

‘Nature always sides with the hidden flaw’..

There are too many negatives to find a positive….

Yoda says: You must unlearn what you have learned.

“When you look at the dark side, careful you must be. 

For the dark side looks back.”

~ Yoda

No Courage

It took no courage

to walk in the wind

leaves crunching beneath my feet

It took no courage

to laugh at a distance

with new friends

It took no courage

to send the wasp on it’s way

He tried to nibble my cookie!

It takes no courage 

to slip my mask on my face

matching my outfit or not.

It takes no courage

to listen and learn

about how simple it is.

It takes no courage

to wash my hands

in water warm and bubbly

It takes no courage

to be kind, to be calm

to be safe for everyone else.

“Scared is what you’re feeling. Brave is what you’re doing.”

~ Emma Donoghue, Room

All the Things

December, 2007  - Journal

If all the things I count as baggage had not happened when they did ~

if they had not happened with

such force and terror 

would I have paid attention to

my life? Would I have learned

the things I’ve learned, 

the ways I erred ~

to lose myself 

and to find myself ~ 

A journey interesting and long.

May, 2019 - Perspective

If all the things I count as blessings

had not happened when they did

if they had not happened with

such surprise, gratitude and joy

would I have paid attention to

My life? Would I have learned

the things I’ve learned, 

to change the ways I’ve lived

to find parts of myself that

I thought were lost or never there?

Short or long ~ that journey is fascinating!

“You can add up your blessings or add up your troubles. 

Either way, you’ll find you have an abundance.”

~ Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway

Soul Math

Interest + curiosity = energy ~

  To look forward

     To learn more

        To live vibrantly

“Our interests are pretty boundless, as is 
our appetite for new creative experiences.”

~ Jennifer Konner, 
writer, director and producer

Don’t forget!  March is Epilepsy month with Purple Day for Epilepsy on March 26 each year.

Knowing

Wascana Lake, Regina, Saskatchewan Sept 2017

Intuitive thoughts ~

Gut feelings without data

Drifts of inner wisdom

challenged by cold realism

Valuable messages from deep inside to be heard and learned from

Internal forces creating our connections 

   to desire to know more

     to each other

       to the world around us.

“When you reach the end of what you should know, 

you will be at the beginning of what you should sense.”

~ Kahlil Gibran, Sand and Foam

Rites of Passage

to watch

to learn

to grow

begins 

when we are born

when we grow up

when we age

continues

with each chance 

with each opportunity

with each wave of emotion

“The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time.”

~ James Taylor

My Life Story in Five Sentences

Yesterday afternoon's writing assignment was to be Five Paragraphs not Sentences, ten minutes timed writing and was really difficult. I did write for ten minutes but….the creativity was extremely lacking, so I have pared it down to sentences. I’ve chosen what seemed to be the core of each paragraph. 

My Life Story in Five Sentences

Learning to be human.

Learning how to learn.

Learning to survive through goodness, fun and turmoil.

Learning to be grateful while away from home.

Coming home to my sons full of hope.

“Do you wait for things to happen, or do you make them 

happen yourself? I believe in writing your own story.”

~ Charlotte Eriksson