I now reside in Lethbridge, Alberta. It was to be a temporary residence as I made my way, “back home”. Yet, I have lived here longer than I have lived anywhere. I felt stuck and suffered personal losses so devastating that I did not want to draw my next breath. Then, one day, I simply chose to take a next very deep breath and accept that I must change how I looked at my environment. I accepted the pain as a lesson and focused a perception away from what I was seeing and in doing so, I learned to flip grief and fear to one of peace and calm. There is a light. It was me. I found me in my Alberta storms. I changed by accepting the challenge of my personal chinooks. In the seconds it takes to decide, I accepted Alberta and no longer fought the fact that I lived here. When I quit struggling, I found the peace and calm that lies within me; that is what I can now carry wherever I am. I am here, Alberta. That I still stand is no small feat. Where I stand and breathe is my home. My focus on my light and the beauty that lies within both me and the province that I once dreaded and wanted to leave, changes what and how I see me and my home province.
I am very moved by this. To tears. I cannot say more but I would like to. Bless you Marlene.