Sunday, April 2, 2023
booked.net

No products in the cart.

  • About
    • Contributors
    • Disclaimers
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Giving back
    • Mission Statement
    • Past Issues
    • Where to Find
    • Call us at 613-935-3763
  • Home
  • News
  • Opinions
  • Lifestyle
  • Events
  • Columnists
  • Videos
  • Advertise!
    • Online
    • In Print
    • Classifieds
No Result
View All Result
No Result
View All Result

A Journey of Healing – RoadSIGNS

Betty Healey by Betty Healey
February 10, 2023
in Columns, roadSIGNS
Reading Time: 5 mins read
rbt

rbt

3
SHARES
18
VIEWS

A Journey of Healing

I am sitting in the warmth of an early morning Portuguese sun, savouring the feeling of the heat on my face. Winter here in the Algarve Region is not tropical, it is comfortable with daily temperatures hovering around 15C this time of year. Today however, promises to be warmer. As I sit in the protective cover of our terrace, I have already shed my sweatshirt. Alone, Jim still asleep as he recovers from jetlag, I find myself relaxing and breathing again. The travel this year seems to be a more significant adjustment than previous years. The 5-hour time difference has meant adjusting my sleep schedule significantly.

This is not a complaint. Sleepless mornings afford me the opportunity for reflection and meditation, and with these practices, healing.

You might also like

Five Questions with radio Program Manager Bill Halman

Five Questions with comedian Mark Vincent

Five Questions with Radio DJ Victoria Arsenault

My intention for 2023 is to ‘lighten-up’. Already there have been a number of SIGNS even though we are a mere 3 weeks into the new year. Part of the lightening-up process is to move beyond what we individually and collectively have experienced over the last three years. It was at this time of year in 2020 that we began to hear rumblings of some virus called COVID-19. Most of us thought nothing of it initially; it was easy to dismiss and to carry on. And, as I sit with the memories today, I can appreciate the trauma of the months of lock-down, the impact the last 36 months has had on me and my relationships. I am appreciating that while COVID is not leaving anytime soon, it is time for all of us to emerge from its shadow and heal.

We arrived in Portugal March 3rd, 2020 with plans to spend two months here to catch our breath before downsizing and moving from our country home to a condo. The plan was quickly short circuited with the Spanish-Portuguese border closing shortly after our arrival and the country going into full lockdown on March 10th. Friends who had arrived with us immediately made plans to return home while we hesitated. Observing the flight delays and cancellations, the astronomical plane fares and the challenging routes to return to Canada made everything unpalatable. While this was happening, friends and family from home were texting and e-mailing us daily with dire messages of the border closing and to come home ASAP. No one understood what it was like to be here and endeavoring to make plans. Frankly it was traumatizing.

On the surface Jim remained calm, thankfully. He focused his energy on getting us home safely on a direct fight to Montreal. As for me, I was acutely anxious, unable to sleep or eat, a state unusual for me and very disturbing. Finally, with Jim helping me to calm down and intentionally focus on the outcome we wanted, we were able to book ourselves on a repatriation flight through Air Transat, direct to Montreal. Mission accomplished.

This was only the beginning. We all know that the last three years have been disruptive and disturbing at so many levels with masks, vaccines, and freedom being debated. I was an early adopter of vaccines as I am immunocompromised and the caretaker for two elderly parents. I was honest about my decisions and, like many of you, was thrust into the great social media debate. For me it was not a discussion, it was a decision. It was personal, not made to influence others. And yet I was attacked and criticized. Friends were blocked from my media pages, friendships have been permanently lost. Isn’t this sad? Time to heal.

Forgiveness


Many of the relationships altered by the debates of the last three years are forever changed. I regret my part in this loss, my circle of colleagues and friends became smaller. Now comes forgiveness, forgiving myself for the role I played and forgiving others for the personal attacks. It is clearly time to heal these wounds. And by the way, forgiveness is the pathway to healing. We forgive to lift the burden from our hearts and off our shoulders. It does not imply that we agree with others or the decisions they made. We can however, be respectful.

Compassion

Accompanying forgiveness is compassion, for self and for others, an ability to be kind and respectful, to understand that in times of stress behaviours change.

Creating a Vision


Ten days ago I was invited to facilitate a Vision Board Workshop by the Seeker Chicks. So much fun!

What an amazing way to facilitate healing as well. A few simple supplies – magazines, scissors, glue and a piece of Bristol Board. Images and words pulled intuitively from magazines and assembled randomly yet mindfully, called in around an intention set by the creator. Imagining the future, declaring what you want to attract, stepping into the energy, moving forward.

Skeptics might say that this is simply an exercise, that it leads nowhere, yet those experienced with vision boards know that they are declaring their intentions and entering the realm of attracting what they want. And it creates distance from what we have all been experiencing during the Pandemic years and thrusts us into what is next, recovering, imagining, defining the possibilities for our future.

Final Thoughts


I recognize that I have the luxury of time at the moment. Not everyone has this same opportunity. We can all engage in healing strategies however. Let us band together however to heal ourselves, our relationships, our community and the world around us. Imagine the world we can create if we can all take a collective breath, sigh, forgive and heal. It is time! Your thoughts and strategies are always welcome and if you care to share you can reach me at: [email protected]

Below are some pics from the VISION BOARD WORKSHOP. We had participants from ages 15 to 89 so it was very interesting to see everyone’s boards and how they were arranged! You can find more on the Seeker Facebook Page under OUT and ABOUT with Seeker Chick Mai-Liis

Author

  • Betty Healey
    Betty Healey

    RoadSIGNS

    View all posts

Tags: advicemental healthRoadSignsvision board
Next Post
close up of shoes and bag

Fashionably Marlene - February 2023

Subscribe
Connect with
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
Notify of
Connect with
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
Please login to comment
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube TikTok
Don't miss anything!

Get notified of all our new news by ringing the bell at the bottom left corner!

Content Safety

HERO

theseeker.ca

Trustworthy

Approved by Sur.ly

2022
The Seeker Newspaper is located at 327 Second Street E., Cornwall, ON K6H 1Y8 -- All rights reserved
The Seeker does not accept responsibility for errors, misprints or inaccuracies published within. The opinions and statements of our columnists are not to be presumed as the statements and opinions of The Seeker, and should not substitute professional or medical advice.
ISSN 2562-1750 (Print)

ISSN 2562-1769 (Online)
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Opinions
  • Lifestyle
  • Events
  • Columnists
  • Videos
  • Advertise!
    • Online
    • In Print
    • Classifieds

© 2023 JNews - Premium WordPress news & magazine theme by Jegtheme.

wpDiscuz
0
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x
| Reply
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
Go to mobile version