My Stories

The Meaning of Leaving by Kate Rogers

I was intrigued by the way Rogers spun and wove images of leaving, attaching them to place, people, relationships, to states of being, and even to the person she once was.
Rogers and I have had similar yet different journeys. After living in Hong Kong and mainland China for more than two decades she left those new homes and returned to Canada. I always wonder what motivates others, like me, to live in different countries. I also wonder what really motivated me to return to Canada, three decades (France, England, Australia) after I first left.

Dance party at suicide prevention conference

My Stories, Suicide Prevention/Awareness

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I flew to Vancouver for my first suicide prevention conference. I certainly didn’t expect a dance party. I was apprehensive. What if this conference was just too much for me to handle? If you’re thinking the same thing, here’s what it was really like at the conference. I felt validated and empowered to make change. And yes, there was dancing!

Starting something new is scary; Suicide prevention isn’t

My Stories, Suicide Prevention/Awareness

Since 1987, when my teenage brother died by suicide, I didn’t talk openly about him or his death to protect myself because in the beginning when I did tell people, some of them pummelled me with horrible chastising words. I don’t need to share those words with you here. If you are like me, a suicide loss survivor or a person with lived experience of suicide, you know what I mean.

7 Panic Remedies for Viral Anxiety

My Stories

On Saturday my husband and daughter went out to get some groceries in Toronto, Canada. After several hours they returned without hand sanitizer,...

Vicarious trauma (for writers) on the Brevity blog

My Stories

The Brevity Magazine's Nonfiction Blog today published a piece I wrote about vicarious trauma and how it affects me and other writers. I believe...

First steps to getting published: advice from the experts

My Stories

Have you got a manuscript that's finished and you can't figure out how to get the attention of agents or publishers, or are you wondering what to do...