Arianna Merritt, MEd | Health Educator & Digital Creator

Make the Process Enjoyable!

Hope you all had a wonderful long weekend with your family and friends.What made your time enjoyable?

Perhaps you were like me - my favourite parts were in the preparation and eating of dinners where friends & family gathered for food and, most importantly, amazingly heartfelt conversations. Quality time with those you care about is an important love language. Taking the time to put away the distractions and really be present with others is really nourishing for our minds, bodies, and souls. Here is some food for thought to pass along to all of you: how do we incorporate this precious time into our daily routines?!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! I can't believe tomorrow is Christmas Eve day! It is already that time of year again. As I love to give Christmas cards, I thought I would turn this week's post into a note of gratitude and support to all of my readers.

Presence is the Best Present

Like many Canadians, turkey dinner is a special tradition in my family. During dinner, we go around the table and say what we are thankful for. This Thanksgiving as I looked around the table, I thought how special these gatherings are. People put their time and effort into being present and into providing an over-abundance of nourishment for our bodies, minds, and souls. Each year the makeup of attendees changes, yet the dinners are all special.

Rise & Shine Interview: Cameron Von St. James

Therefore, today I'm happy to feature Cameron Von St. James and his FAMILY as part of my Profiles of Perseverance series. To this family every day is family day, as they know how valuable it is to be together. Cameron initially reached out to me and wanted to share his family's story, which he called "Living with Cancer." After I read it, I had to ask Cameron to also share his pieces of advice about overcoming obstacles. His writing moved me to tears, as many in my life have been affected by this disease. As you will see below, the Von St. James family is beautiful and perseverant. Hearing their story shows how important social support is in overcoming obstacles. Thank you, Cameron, Heather, and Lily, for reminding others what is important in life!

Rise & Shine Interview: Carla Bourada

Any new moms out there looking for encouragement and support? Today is your lucky day!

I have interviewed many people for my "Profiles of Perseverance" series about how they persevere through many types of obstacles. However, I had until now, not asked a young mom to share her thoughts. When thinking of who to interview – I knew just the person to ask. Carla Bourada is a 29-year-old-stay-at -home mom of three children with one more on the way! Her children are so adorable! I have known Carla since elementary school and we used to live in the same neighbourhood. I really respect her and think she is a wonderful woman and mom. Thanks, Carla, for sharing with us the lessons you have learned throughout your twenties! You Rock!

Surround Yourself with Positive People

Every individual that was interviewed for my series, myself included, has stressed the importance of social support in pursuing their passion. Friends and family help you persevere through the setbacks.

You will have many obstacles in your path. So, it is essential to your success to surround yourself with people who cope with these obstacles in a positive rather than a negative manner.

I encountered an “obstacle” in my life this past week with the death of my dog, Sable. I am so blessed for all the support. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!!You have helped me to cope with her passing a positive and healthy manner.

RIP Sable: You left your Paw Print on my Heart!

It was a sad day yesterday. My family and I had to put down our 16 year-old sheltie, Sable, who had been battling bladder cancer. Sable tried to hold on for as long as she could, but yesterday she gave up her fight. Up until yesterday she had been energetic and strong but that changed very suddenly. We had no choice but to put her to sleep as she refused to eat, had a difficult time drinking, and had little to no energy. However, even in the face of adversity, she still stayed positive and died with a smile on her face. She is reunited with her best buddy Comet, our cat who died last June.

The Young Adult of the Past and Present

Sometimes we think we are the only ones who are going through issues. However, every generation goes through similar stages in life.

I came upon an assignment I wrote for a class in high school, called “The Young Adult of the Past and Present.” For the assignment, I had interviewed one of my grandmothers. The original document has been changed only to take out personal information.

My grandmother has lived in the same city for her entire life; she was born in 1921. I chose to interview her because I think she has had a really interesting life. I wanted to find out how she was socialized to handle three developmental tasks: 1) separation from family, 2) development of intimate peer relationships, and 3) choice of career.

To My Grandparents, with Love

I love to write, and thought I would share what has been going on in my heart over the past week. I went to visit my grandparents, and my grandpa told me how my grandma had been leaving pots on the stove and forgetting they were on. The fire department recently came to their house, as one of the pots set off the fire alarm. She has been diagnosed with Alzheimers, and the family is debating whether she should go into long-term care. It is such a hard decision to make. Putting her in long-term care means that she would have to leave her home of almost sixty years.

Obsessed with Marriage....

I have been to two weddings in the past couple weeks; one as a bridesmaid and one as a guest. The main question that was on many peoples minds when they saw a mid-to-late twenty something woman was: WHY AREN'T YOU MARRIED YET?

For example, here is the conversation that I had with my cab driver leaving the city a couple days later.

"So what brought you to town? Were you on business?"

"No, I was in a friends wedding."

"Oh ok. So... when's your wedding?"

"Not for a while. I haven't found the right guy yet"

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