This blog post is different than what I usually share. But today marks nine years since my whole life felt like it was turned upside down when my step-mom passed away from a tiring battle with breast cancer.
Mary passed from breast cancer the same way she lived — with love, beauty, and grace.
Mary told us to look for her in butterflies and rainbows – and I feel her with each butterfly that flutters by and each rainbow that smiles over rainy days- But I feel Mary’s presence in lots of other things too as I go about my everyday; great music, fragrant flowers, cups of warm tea, people humming, my step-sisters’ eyes and smiles, when I cook a meal for those I love, when I hang Mary’s “I believe in Santa Claus” sign in my dining room in December, in people laughing authentically, and most strongly when Spring opens up in living colour reminding me that even after a cold, harsh, long winter – new growth and delicate blossoms are still possible.
A life truly well lived is the one spent most often in the sunshine of love, not the shadows of fear- the one spent as if every season is Spring in full bloom.
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I will never, ever tell my staff to follow the ‘insert smile here’ model of customer service. You know, like the kind of scripted dialogue you get at McDonalds. Or the automatic “hello” you get upon walking into WalMart. Some people might appreciate that kind of mindless interaction, but I don’t. And I’m sure my…
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The sad fact is, there are still a lot of misogynistic jerks out there who think women aren’t cut out to be really successful in business. Sadder still, is that a lot of women agree with that sentiment, and they run and hide from opportunities to shine as an entrepreneur. And then you have other…
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Why would any sane person give up a thriving business? If I had a nickel for every time I’d been asked this question, I’d have at least enough change to buy a few lattes… or one really good glass of celebratory wine. And trust me, I did a lot of celebrating when I sold a…
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