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Starting school again after a fun-filled and adventurous few months together, can bring up emotions that none of us really like to deal with. Scott, my husband, has shared that he gets those tummy flutters that used to come when he was elementary school-aged, and I remember wanting to amp up my organization so I was prepared. (I might be a bit of a organization geek)

So now that we have Skye in our lives and he's going into grade 2 (oh my heavens), we are overly aware at how our reactions and feelings toward this experience for him can be effected by what we're giving off.

There are studies out there about how infants and children will feel and express what is actually happening for the parent, guardian or those they are around. 

So for instance, if you're having a bad day and you've kept a lot of what's going on inside your head. You're thinking about conversations. You are arguing back and forth with yourself. You are feeling anxious about something that...

‘Try and try again’ it’s said.

‘Keep going until it feels right’ they say.

I didn’t really connect with these concepts until I had Skye.  Why should any of us go along with decisions that we don’t feel good about? The situation might not be as you had envisioned in the beginning, but the outcome might actually fit your life better than you expected.

Giving yourself the options to keep trying for something that you know deep down means a lot to you and your future, or your child's future, is never a waste of time.

When you try to do something that you think is good for you and all you get is pushback, resistance, or frustrations, you might just want to give up right then and there. Throw your hands up, your head goes back and you make some sort of comment that tells the energies around you that you’re just done!

Let me ask you, if your neonatologist or nurse did that whenever a block came up in the NICU, would that be okay?

...

 Unexpected things happen all the time in life and often we're good to manage them. Other times, these events occur and sweep us away with the unknowns and uncertainties that our brains will produce. The emotions become big and often and it's sometimes difficult to manage where we're at, let alone support other people through what's going on.

My Vlog today is about this. 
I talk about the first steps that can be taken to figure yourself out as you try to manage a difficult situation AND have to parent at the same time.

Skye is a great mirror for me and the first time I realized he was expressing how I was feeling was a huge shift for all of us! It's a tough job, not for the faint of heart to be a parent, and with unexpected events it can become even more overwhelming.

Listen in, tell me what you think and remember, we're here for each other!
Love Leanne Rose 

It's time to let that go my dear. 

Allow that thing, that situation, that person that has been holding you back be released into the world/ethers/air/whatever so that you don't have to hold onto it anymore.

As you know I have been doing A LOT of work on myself lately. Growing is not easy when it goes against the grain of society, your family or anything that you've gotten comfortable in.

So many people have been quoted stating that no growth happens within your comfort zone. This is true and also has to be seen through gentle eyes.
This is NOT an accusation.
This is NOT the start of a shame cycle.
This is a learning opportunity, and this is how I'm seeing my last 15 months.

Sometimes we have to sit in the mucky stuff in order to come out like a Phoenix from the ashes.You might not know what the other side looks like, but what you do know is how you want to feel.

"Follow the feeling" is something I can be heard saying all the time to the people I work with. I sometimes even...

As a NICU parent, I have gained the skill of questioning with an open heart. There were many times that we were told something in the NICU, or by doctors after we were home, that just didn't sit right with me. So, I researched, asked more questions and added to the knowledge shared with me.

This might be seen as overanalyzing, but it's gotten Skye a lot farther than what any of the doctors ever imagined. 

Right now my part of Mother Earth is just waking up. Spring is edging ever closer with temperatures above freezing and more of the ground being exposed from the layers of snow. Honestly, I feel like I too am just waking up from a long, intense sleep.

New Years was not celebratory for us this year, it felt heavy. I started wondering what this whole January 1st thing was all about because to me, it seemed like an odd time of year (in terms of Mother Nature's seasons) to celebrate newness.

So... I started asking questions. :) 

A friend of...

Connection is paramount.

In any culture around our beautiful world, the sense of connection and being understood creates a powerful sense of self. When we don't feel supported we feel as though weights are pressing down on our shoulders and that feeling can make it hard to function on a daily basis.

Talking about something that has happened to you that is weighing on your mind can be an integral way to process the emotional heaviness you're carrying around. By debriefing with someone you trust it gives space for healing and understanding.

Connection and sharing are essential parts of how we thrive.

No one can do everything all by themselves. In the Western world we've forgotten about the village mentality. Sharing is Love. And Love is the bottom line in how we feel connected. Love just has to be.

Who do you have in your life that you can talk to or ask a favour of? What are you willing to ask of them? Can you get out of your own way to receive the support?

Allow the compassion...

Feb 14, 2022

Love is a trauma-informed action.

Yesterday was Valentine’s Day and whether or not you ‘celebrate’ it or see it as just another day, your thoughts were probably around the subject of Love. I personally don’t put too much effort into it even though this year Skye has wanted to decorate and amp it up because he’s now in school and they focus on these things as tools for keeping the kids’ attention. I tend to want the attention to be spread out throughout the year so that I know I’m Loved, always. Selfish or just a different perspective?

Regardless of how tough these last few years have been for you knowing that you are Loved is a powerful feeling. Having someone in your life that you trust, that you confide in, that you can truly be yourself with is a form of knowing you are Loved. It’s also lovely to hear the words, “You are Loved.” Or “I Love you.”

Words hold energy and we can’t always...

*Note: I wrote this article for the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC) to put on their blog for an upcoming series I have been gifted to be a part of. Even if you are not a counsellor or other helping professional, I know you will find nuggets for yourself within these lines.
Let me know what you think!

Love, Leanne
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Counsellors Needing Counsellors: Finding yourself and building resilience

Coming to grips with what’s happening around us and in the external world, means we have to be aware of what’s happening with the inner world most importantly. As the world is ever changing, and especially right now, uncertainties are not going away. We are seeing the effects of prolonged uncertainty with heightened anxieties that don’t want to go away, depression where there was no worry of it before, overwhelm that brings layers of exhaustion, and the question of, “will this ever end?” A person has a very difficult time...

Do you think you take the people and things around you for granted? Sometimes I get a big moment of awareness that I haven't been very grateful for what's around me - air, my feet, my family. Giving thanks doesn't just have to be once a year for a holiday. It's a tool that brings so much into our lives. Check out my video and comment below. Love you tons, Leanne Rose

I was honoured to join Ronja Sakata on her fabulous podcast/blog to talk about Finding Joy in life and How to find yourself. 

There have been so many times in my life when I didn't think I was on the right path or didn't understand the road that lay before me and I struggled. Working through those times and figuring out how to really come into being who I am has brought me to the joys that I feel today.

Here's the link for the podcast: https://www.joyismycompass.com/blog/ep23-leanne-rose-dorish

And you can let either Ronja or myself know if you have further questions you'd like us to explore together.

Tons of Love,
Leanne Rose