Even Now...

 

Hi!

So, in Canada, during this past week, we had Orange Shirt Day.

For those who don't know, Orange Shirt Day is a day set aside to acknowledge, and honour our indigenous people, all of whom are affected by the residential schools they or their loved ones were forced to go attend.

Horrible abuse, mental, emotional, physical and sexual took place within the walls of these schools, the last of which, shamefully, only closed in 1996.

First Nations children were kidnapped from their homes and families, all but destroying an entire culture.

Generational abuse generates generations of broken souls. 

It's not something to 'forget about' or 'get over.' 

You can't continually run over someone with a car and then tell them to walk it off and forget about it.

We can't go back and change the past. I so wish we could. We can, however, do everything we can to learn everything we can about what happened and how it happened so nothing even remotely like this ever happens again.

Even now, a First Nations patient recorded racial abuse she suffered at the hands of staff as a patient in a hospital in Quebec. Even now.

Even now, indigenous people, women and children especially, go missing exponentially more than anyone else in the country. They vanish. Even now.

Even now, there are many who hold racist attitudes toward indigenous people. Even now.

I don't claim to have all of the answers. Massive damage, such as what we have done to the First Nations culture since we landed on these shores all those years ago, isn't repaired quickly, if it ever can be. But, we have to try.

Systemic racism runs deep in our legislature, in our institutions, in our culture, in our streets. We don't, as a country, do enough to help heal the wounds we caused.

We don't get to dictate to those we've hurt what is needed to heal. That's not how it works. 

It's beyond time to listen. To really listen. It's beyond time to take real steps toward healing.

*******************************************************

Now, south of the border.

Holy crap!

The "debate" between Biden and the guy that is supposed to be a President.

Okay, I ran a dayhome for YEARS, caring for over a hundred toddlers over the course of that time.

Needless to say, I know a tantrum/meltdown when I see one.

I recognize a lack of self-control. I know precisely who needs a timeout and when.

I think Biden showed incredible amounts of restraint in the face of someone who couldn't, not once, keep quiet for a two-minute stretch of time, and respectfully let someone else finish a thought.

Then to top the evening off with a refusal to denounce white supremacy, and a call to arms of his conspiracy theory loving, gun-toting lunatics, well, to say it was unsettling would be putting it mildly. 

At the event, he, his family, and his cronies refused to wear masks at the venue, where it is required to do so.

Now, he's sick, his wife is sick, he went to an event even after he found out Hope Hicks was sick. They themselves weren't the ones to notify the public about Hope, It was leaked. Leaked. This seems to be the only way the citizens get to find out truth. 

How many people have they put in jeopardy because of their lack of... I don't even know at this point what the word is for what they lack.

Even now, it's being reported that people working within the White House aren't wearing masks. Even now.

Even now, they are trying to downplay this. Even now.

*********************************************************************

Until next time...

May we all acknowledge and accept the part we play in the pain we cause, even now.

May we do all we can to help heal the wounds, listen, really listen, doing that, we may learn how.

May we, someday, create a time in history wherein true equality thrives.

May we get to that place, lifting culture, lifting families, lifting lives.

May we allow ourselves to feel the responsibility of what happened, and how.

May we accept it. No excuses. Do better. Especially and even now.

****************************************************************

This Empty Seat...

 

Hi,

Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

This empty seat has earned reverence, respect, and time to grieve.

The Notorious RBG.

As women, we owe her a perpetual debt of gratitude for taking a sledgehammer to glass ceilings. She wasn't able to get to all of them, so it's up to us to continue the fight.

Although she was American, her legacy is, and will continue to be, felt by little girls and women all over the world.

The way she walked through this life earned respect. Her shoes won't fit just anyone. Her successor needs to live up to her brilliance, her wisdom, her fight for equality for all. To do anything else would be every kind of wrong. 

Her legacy should not be stomped upon by rushing to stack the court. She deserves better. Her legacy should not be stomped on by trying to fill her shoes with someone who carries attitudes and beliefs from 60 years ago as they pertain to women, the LGBTQ+ communities, and others. 

They are trying to fill her shoes before she's even buried. He's naming the nominee today. Amy Coney Barrett. I would definitely question the character of someone who would accept the nomination under these circumstances. Accepting in this way says volumes about who she is. 

If she is a good fit for the shoes, she will be a good fit after the election. Why the rush?

Dear neighbours to the south, the guy who currently occupies your house is trying to lie his way into re-election. He's trying to kill everything you stand for. For those of us watching from the outside looking in, it's looking more and more like what happens in countries like Belarus, Russia, Cuba, and others like them. What's next? Mysterious deaths of people in opposition? 

A big step in that direction is not committing to a peaceful transfer of power. Check.

Make broad, debunked claims about voter fraud. Check.

Knee cap the Postal service to hinder mail-in ballots. Check.

Use the fact that the Postal service is now kneecapped to try to substantiate your claims. Check.

Continuously declare that the only way you can lose the election is if the opposition cheats. Check.

Encourage voter intimidation by telling your supporters to show up and guard polling places. Check.

Include your campaign propaganda in ballot mail outs. Check.

Prop up and help spread misinformation about... well, everything. Check.

Threaten to withhold federal funding to areas of the country that don't vote for you. Check.

Repeatedly call the free press the enemy of the people. Check.

Continually state that any opinion that contradicts yours is Anti-American. Check. 

Have private, armed militia show up at protests and throw law-abiding citizens in unmarked vans. Check.

When I turn on the news and see what's happening, it takes a minute to realize it's the United States they are talking about, and not one of those countries run by dictators.

I fear for you, neighbours. Please save the country you, your parents, grandparents, and other loved ones have fought and sacrificed for. 

Have all of the fallen soldiers fallen for nothing? Did they die to protect a democracy that you're so easily willing to give up? Did you fight for independence from a monarchy just to hand your freedoms over to a bully con man a couple of hundred years later?

He's full of it. He's terrified that once he is voted out he will start to face consequences for his actions. He needs the shield of the office to protect him from what he's done. So, he's willing to do anything to hold on to that shield.

He'll lie to you about the pandemic, causing thousands of deaths that didn't need to happen. All you have to do is look around at other countries to see that. 

He'll lie to you about ballot fraud. He actually said to 'get rid' of ballots. 

He'll lie to you about Biden, promoting altered videos, promoting propaganda put out by Russia.

He'll lie to you about anything he thinks will help in the moment. 

He lies to you about everything.

Please do yourself the favour of watching/reading international news. Step outside your bubble and look at what's happening from an objective perspective. Then, for your country's sake, VOTE! 

RBG.

Warrior until the very end. It has to mean something. 

******************************************************

May your seat be filled by someone worthy of the space.

May your legacy be honoured by anyone trying to stand in your place.

May we value your work by continuing the fight.

May we see our daughters flourish following the trail blazed by your might.

May you forever be remembered as the warrior you were.

May you be honoured with all of the respect you so well deserved. 

************************************************************

https://www.amazon.ca/Once-Broken-Margy-Reid-ebook/dp/B071HTFTX6/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=once+broken&qid=1601136341&sr=8-2

These Uncharted Waters...

 

Hi! 

Okay folks, I had to turn on my furnace! 

It hasn't fired up more than a few times, but DANG!

Before you jump all over me, allow me to make it super clear that I am very aware of the fact that we are EXTREMELY lucky. With the fires and flaming tornadoes ravaging the west coast, and the line-up of hurricanes bulking up, getting ready to take turns abusing all those that live along the gulf coast and the many unfortunate enough to reside in their paths, and all of the other natural disasters that are happening around the globe, having to have my furnace kick in a bit prematurely is less than nothing to complain about.

I have a furnace, a house to heat, and a bed to sleep in. 

That being said, the firing up of the furnace means summer, even though it's not official on the calendar, is, for all intents and purposes, over.

It's going to be a challenging season, as people become more and more fed up with COVID and everything it entails. So many people that I've talked to are simply sick of it. I think it's safe to say we all are. 

We know that it's not going anywhere any time soon. We know the measures we need to take to protect as many people as we can from getting it. We know this thing is Russian roulette. 

What we don't know is if the chamber is empty, has a rubber bullet, or if it carries the fatal shot.

If we come in contact with this thing we might not get it at all, we may get it and not get sick, inevitably spreading it without knowing it, we may get sick but bounce back just fine, we may get very sick and have lifelong damage, or, we may leave our loved ones behind to grieve us. 

Okay, so how do we get through the Fall?

Roll with it. What choice do we have?

There will always be those who don't want to believe how serious it is, and some who don't want to believe it exists at all. There's not much we can do about that. 

Nothing would make me happier than to look back at this stretch of time 10 years from now, and find that the naysayers were completely right, it was all overblown and we completely overreacted.

 I'll happily make a diet of nothing but crow for the rest of my life if that happens. 

In the meantime, we will just have to make the best of it. All of it.

More and more places will be requiring the wearing of masks. If you have an issue with it, albeit physical or philosophical, maybe don't take your grievances out on the people who work there. It's not their fault. 

If the policy, law, mandate, whatever you want to call it involves wearing a mask and you don't want to, or find it hard to wear one, just don't go there.

Personally, I'm claustrophobic, and for me, wearing a mask triggers all kinds of anxiety pretty quickly. Poor me, right? It's not exactly fun, but, thankfully, my hubby isn't, so he's been handling the errands that take longer than about ten minutes. Date nights are definitely different, we miss visiting people and having people over, and the challenges this thing has brought to our shop is a story in and of itself, but we're figuring it out. 

Everyone's circumstance is different, for sure. Everybody has to navigate these uncharted waters in whatever way they see fit. But, no matter your beliefs, no matter how you choose to roll, let's all do our best to not take our fear or frustrations out on others. 

As the saying goes, in a world where you can be anything, be kind.

Although we are going to have to live with this longer than we ever thought, it's still not forever. We'll just have to lift each other over the hardest parts. 

**************************************************************

Until next time...

May we all find a way to get through the next chapter of this unknown.

May we find a way, without our fears and frustrations becoming overblown. 

May we remember to be kind, after all, we are all in the same boat.

May we try to see past differences, remember our sameness, regardless of how we vote.

May we all follow the science, it's our only way to the other side.

May we follow the lighted path of science, here at home and worldwide.

And Away They Go!

 

Hi!

It's been a week, hasn't it?

Kids are back to school after an extremely long break. Getting back into a school routine, and a very different one than they are used to, is gonna require all kinds of patience.

Kids who are prone to losing things will still do so, it's just now sanitizers and masks are added to the list of things most likely to go missing. 

They are going to have a bit of a time getting used to the whole sitting for hours thing again, the structure, the bells, the bus rides, all of it. It's a lot.

As time progresses, it's a very real possibility that some, if not all of these new routines, the ones they've worked so hard to adhere to, could be uprooted, once again. It's a seat-of-the-pants start where things could change quickly. 

Patience.

Everyone is going to need to have an abundance of it, both to bestow upon others and to have gifted to them. Teachers, support staff, parents, and especially, the kids. 

Let's just try and remember everyone is doing their level best in a tough, never-experienced-before situation. 

We got this.

**************************************************************

9/11

A Tuesday, our second oldest daughter's 14th birthday. The girls were getting ready for school, the tv was on, tuned into a news channel.

I walked through the living room, on my way to the kitchen, only halfway paying attention to what was on the screen. I saw the first plane hit. I thought it was a movie trailer or something. I stopped to see. That's when the reality of what was happening began to scratch the surface of my psyche. By the time I was able to process the fact that this was actually happening, the second plane hit.

By this time we were all in the living room, watching in horror and disbelief. The girls were 15, 14, 10, and 9. 

The world was never the same after that. Fundamental things changed. 

It put the world on tilt. 

The world is tilting again. This time, not by something rooted in malicious intent. By a virus.

The virus was thrown at every continent. Almost every country. It was thrown at humanity in such a way as to test the leadership of every country hit.

Some have done well.

The countries where the leaders listen to the science, give their citizens all of the facts to help them make informed decisions, put safety nets in place so people can keep a roof over their heads and food on the table, make testing and contact tracing a priority, encourage and sometimes mandate wearing masks, the countries that have done and continue to do these things are doing pretty well.

Some haven't.

The countries where the leaders kept the truth from their citizens are still struggling. The countries where the leaders actively spread misinformation still have thousands of people dying from this virus every single week. A person can't help but wonder how many people might still be walking the earth if they had known the truth. The stats say tens of thousands of people, and that's just in the United States.

Tens of thousands of people who would still be with their families. Thousands of families unnecessarily grieving. 

For what.

It's impossible to wrap my head around the reasoning. 

To know how deadly the virus was. How easily it spread. How important early action was. Then, not only keep the truth to yourself, but tell the people you've sworn to protect, some bullshit fairytale about how it would disappear and was just like the regular flu. 

Receiving truth, spewing lies.

I don't get it, I will never get it. 

***************************************************

May we never forget the tragedy that stole innocent lives and was fueled by hate.

May we learn from history that hate can beget nothing else, it seals a horrible fate.

May the truth seep through the fog-covered maze of lies streaming from the top.

May truth finally prevail, science be given the respect it deserves, may the spread of misinformation just stop.

May we all do what we do best, come together to get through the times that are tough.

May we all do our best to be patient, be kind, for everyone, this is hard, this is rough.

*******************************************************************

Please do my the honour of checking out my novel.

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B071HTFTX6?pf_rd_r=RCSF2XAV1BDJN39EGGRJ&pf_rd_p=05326fd5-c43e-4948-99b1-a65b129fdd73

As Autumn Falls Upon Us...

 

Hi!

Well, with the turn of the page, summer begins to fade in the rearview, allowing Autumn to fall upon us.

School, for most, is only a couple of sleeps away. 

My heart goes out to parents, teachers, and all the support staff. This is going to be a challenging year. Navigating in uncharted waters without knowing what kind of storms are on the horizon. 

No matter if you have chosen to home school, do virtual learning with others doing the teaching, or are physically sending them to the brick and mortar, the usual amount of back-to-school stress, which is more than enough, can't help but be amplified.

Let's do ourselves a favour and decide here and now to cut each other a whack of slack as the maneuvering of this maze, no matter which one, begins.

Let's cut the parents some slack. Regardless of the choices made, doubt is inevitable. With zero chance of perfection, how can it not?

Let's cut the teachers some slack. They've never done this before either. They will, as always, do their best to keep kids safe, but the weight of this extra responsibility is huge. There is zero chance of perfection here too.

Let's cut the support staff some slack. The bus drivers, the maintenance people, the TA's, their job descriptions are changing too. Again, zero chance of perfection.

The life skill of rolling with whatever life throws is being tested in a big way. It's going to be tough, that's a given. It's going to be challenging, also a given. It's going to be hard, but not impossible.

Let's decide to retire side-eye and just be supportive. Unconditionally supportive in whatever way we can.

If you are able, maybe donate some hand sanitizer for the backpacks of some littles. If you are able, maybe donate some sanitizing wipes to classrooms. If you are able, maybe be the place that stress can go to vent. 

Let's just do ourselves a giant solid and make a conscious effort to be kind to each other. Period.

As we wade into the last long weekend of the summer, on the threshold of the school year, let's be smart. No matter how sick we are of hearing about this virus, how sick we are of worrying about it, how exhausted we all are of the whole damn COVID thing, COVID doesn't care.

Let's keep doing the things that help keep this evil game of Russian roulette at bay. Let's wear the masks without complaining, let's keep our gatherings small and outside, let's wash our hands and wipe things down like we're cleaning up after a herd of hyper toddlers who just ate handfuls of chocolate ice cream and melted gummy bears. Let's take care of each other.

***********************************************************************

May learning be a joy, no matter where or how it happens.

May the dust of upheaval settle before the year is at its end.

May you find a way to muddle through that doesn't make you feel crazy.

May you find a way to navigate this unknown, even if, right now the horizon looks hazy.

May we lift each other over the puddles, share the burden of the stress.

May we remember to be flexible, attentive, and kind, we are, in the end, all just doing our very best.

***********************************************************************

www.margyreidbooks.com 

The Storm Before The Calm...

 Hi!

Let's just dive right in, shall we?

It's mind-boggling to me how this Orange Bafoon can slump and sweat behind a podium and try to blame a guy who has never been, and is not yet president for the state of the country that has been under his watch for almost four full years. 

This, my friends, is a masterclass in gaslighting.

I personally grew up on a farm with pigs, chicken, cats, dogs, and cows, and have Never seen crap piled this high.

He, and those who excitedly line up to take turns puckering up behind him, would have you believe that the stoking of hate and blatant racism, has somehow been brought on by Joe Biden.

They would have you believe that marching for equality is the same as rioting and looting.

They would have you believe that a 17-year-old walking around with a loaded AR-15 and shooting people is, somehow, perfectly normal, even something to celebrate.

They would have you believe that a man who was shot 7 times in the back and left paralyzed needs to be shackled to his hospital bed. 

If the thought of all people being treated equally triggers fear in you, or you feel threatened at the thought in any way, a deep, lengthy look in the mirror is, obviously, long overdue. 

Equality diminishes nothing, strengthening everything.

He starts a fire, sends in his minions to fan the flames of that fire, blames the burning people for being flammable, then wants to be hailed a hero for pretending to put it out using gasoline. Then, starts a bigger fire to distract from the one from the day before. 

Before this occupant of the Oval Office, we never heard the terms, alternative facts, or fake news. The words hoax and witch hunt held meaning, Up was up, down was down. We didn't live life down a rabbit hole. 

Our friends to the South seem to be living in a Bizarro World version of itself.

Neighbours, you are one election away from having a VERY different way of life. 

Pay attention to the actions, both past and present, of each of the candidates.

Pay attention to the way they've lived their lives, how they have treated people throughout their time on this planet.

Voting one way will bring more of the same, but worse. There will be more talk of caravans that never materialize, and babies will remain in cages. More people will die unnecessarily from COVID. More people will NOT be covered for treatment. More people will be evicted, more people will be lining up in food lines, more people will wear their racism as a badge of honour. Time has proven he can do absolutely anything his dark heart desires with no accountability. His line about shooting someone on 5th avenue without consequence rings eerily. He is a glutton of power, with no conscience. They went down the long, arduous path of impeachment only to find there is no line in the sand. Soon he will possess the autocracy he desires, just like his buddies Putin and Jong-un. Are you okay with that?

Before you say that's not possible, take a good look at how far the bar has been lowered in the past four years. The same people who refuse to hold him accountable for ANYTHING wanted Obama to resign for wearing a tan suit. 

Voting the other way will be more of what I, for one, believe America is meant to be. More equality. More listening to, and following science. More empathy. More caring. More hope. More kindness. More conscience. More fair housing. More jobs that make an actual living. More actual leadership. He's lived a life that has required unfathomable resilience to not only survive, but thrive. He's conducted his life driven by service of others, seeing himself not as a king but a bridge to what can be. Are you okay with that? I sincerely hope so.

If you so choose, you are amid the storm before the calm. 

Choose Joe and be obliviously bored with politics once again.

Choose the Cheeto, well, good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favour. 

********************************************************************

May the next sixty and some odd days pass with the speed of light.

May people claim what is rightfully theirs, the vote, don't surrender it without a fight.

May you choose with your conscience, choose with your heart, choose with your grandbabies in mind.

May you think about the legacy you will be leaving for them, one filled with hate or one that is kind.

May you see the difference between his deeds and his words, as they rarely coincide.

May you see the kind of man that's willing to pat himself on the back as the 180,000th COVID victim died.

************************************************************************

www.margyreidbooks.com 

Umbrellas And Other Life Skills...

 Hi!

Ahhhhh, umbrellas.

Whether you need it to keep you dry or to stave off the beating rays of the summer sun, knowing how to work one is one of those life skills that most people pick up as they walk the planet. 

An unconscious skill. You know, the most basic of skills you pick up with little to no effort.

For example:

Tying shoes: maybe a bit of a challenge when you are 5 or 6, but a task most can perform as an adult without much thought or focus.

Propelling ourselves up and down steps and ramps. After about the age of 2, another skill performed by most, regularly, without much thought.

Drinking from a glass: Most have this one down before their first birthday, some needing to use both hands for a little while, but, again, without thought or focus.

Discerning between reality and fantasy. The average bear can make the distinction between what is real and what is not real by the time they hit kindergarten. They know when they are spinning a tale, when they are telling the truth. They don't have to put effort into understanding the difference. (Knowing whether others are spewing garbage is a separate skillset. Some develop a better BS metre than others. A topic for another day.)

Understanding the difference between right and wrong. Even with only the slightest hint of guidance, empathy, kindness, compassion and the desire to do no harm are things kids have instinctually and come to understand as toddlers. Skills that become automatic over time.

Basic skills performed on a daily basis without much effort. For most.

For others, not so much.

Case in point. Cheeto-in-chief.

Although I don't know that he can't tie shoes or, tie, period,  I've never seen him do it.

Ramps, well, that would be a big old no.

Drinking from a glass, apparently not without the promise of a standing ovation.

Discerning between reality and fiction. The thing about this one is he only seems to believe what bolsters him, whether it really does or not. Like this Q Anon crap. He believes their crazy conspiracy because they like him. He only believes things that stroke his ego. He spews utter nonsense. He attacks because he has no real defense for his actions. He makes up and then repeats lies hoping, in some way, that repeating them will make them true. Hell, it started with the obvious lies about the attendance of his inauguration and just got worse from there.

Understanding the difference between right and wrong. Oh, I think he understands it fine enough, I just don't think he cares. Kindness, empathy, compassion the whole idea of doing no harm are, to him,  inconceivable concepts. 

He is now, who he has always been. He wants what he wants when he wants it and will stomp, ruin, crush, and destroy anything that gets in the way. He will knee cap the Postal Service, he will make up horrible accusations with no facts to back them up, he will feed into baseless, ridiculous, conspiracy theories, he will set fire to your constitution, as long as it suits his purpose.

The leaders with whom he shares these characteristics, this utter lack of basic life skills, are dictators, tyrants, just deplorable, garbage humans. Why he consistently chooses to align himself with these leaders is equally baffling and terrifying. 

He sees himself as a King. His talk of a third or even fourth term, his declarations that the only possible way he'll lose the election is if it's rigged, his blatant voter suppression.

In his mind, he is without flaws, beyond consequence, and entitled to all things, without sacrifice.

In reality, he is a delusional, want-to-be dictator who, on his best day, can't work an umbrella.

*******************************************************************

This week, from the outside looking in, with conventions underway, a person can't help but be flabbergasted by the contrast between what is and what can be.

Vote.

******************************************************************

May you hold tight to your right to vote, no matter the hindrances hurled in your path.

May you see that even he knows he'll lose if he doesn't cheat, he's had someone do the math.

May you look at the calendar with hope, the time of this ranting delusion can be over soon.

May you make sure your vote is counted, when run over by a  landslide, watch him change his tune.

May you see he's not fighting for you, he can't care, he's simply afraid to leave the Whitehouse.

May you see the office is his shield from consequence, without it, they'll be forwarding his mail to the big house.

*********************************************************************

www.margyreidbooks.com