STAYING POSITIVE IN GRIM TIMES

I don’t know about you, but it’s hard staying positive in such grim times. This pandemic is taking longer to get through than most of us expected.  I’m using what I know to keep my spirits up. I feel blessed in so many ways but am mindful that many don’t have the supports I have. But despite all our differences, we’re in this fight  together. I’m hoping you’re taking time to take care of yourself.

COUNTING BLESSINGS

After writing two biographical fictions, Sunflowers Under Fire, set in Russia during WWI and the typhus epidemic, and the soon to be published Lilacs in the Dust Bowl, set during the Great Depression in Manitoba, Canada, I am counting my blessings. These stories take place in hard times.

I wrote a couple of articles this past year about what we have to be thankful for. One came at the request of the blog host for the San Miguel de Allende Writers Conference website—Counting Blessings During a Pandemic.

KEEPING PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY FIT

And another blog post was written for Colleen Story’s Writing and Wellness website, where I shared what I do to keep psychologically healthy at this time. Like a walk in the woods, in a park, on the beach, or in the neighbourhood.

In this article, I mention some of the tips I gave when I held stress management workshops for employees in various workplaces. In a previous life–that’s how long ago it seems–I was the director of a non-profit agency in Greater Vancouver that provided confidential counselling to people in the workplace–lawyers, chartered accountants, teachers, janitors, teamsters, and other trade workers and their families.

Building a Better Brain

This morning, I tuned into a talk show featuring Dr. Sanjay Gupta who is promoting his book Keep Sharp: Build a Better Brain at Any Age. Over the years, I’ve been impressed by the news that we can improve our brain even as we age. He suggested trying something different and to keep moving, meaning a good brisk walk is as good if not better than a workout in a gym.

I liked what Dr. Gupta had to say because both Robert and I have injuries from our days in raquet sports. Much as we loved playing tennis, badminton and pickleball, those activities left their scars. We both have shoulder tears and wounded knees. But thankfully, walking is something we can still do.

As for trying something different, I’ve been taking violin lessons on Skype. I can play passably. It’s more about enjoyment and keeping my brain active. And we started a drawing course found on a website that offered a great deal for a good price. We’re very impressed with this course, taught by a university art professor.

ESCAPE INTO LITERATURE

I’m thankful I’m a writer now. I can escape the current Covid crisis into my protagonist’s life or I can find solace in a good book.

This virus can’t stop us from working at our computers and reading. We can all read from the safety of our homes. And it seems that’s what many of us are doing, as book sales are up.

I’m currently reading Toni Morrison’s Nobel Prize winning novel The Bluest Eye.

And thankfully, if you can’t get to a bookstore or a library, you can access both online. We can download ebooks and audiobooks. Sunflowers Under Fire is available as an audiobook too at Audible and from other distributors like Apple and more.

And with some books, you can even travel with the protagonist, which is great seeing as how we can’t move around like we used to. I used scenes from our travels to Ireland, Provence, and Manhattan in my debut novel, A Cry From The Deep. One reader said I should have it in a tourist shop in Ireland. Author Peggy Moreshouse Strack said, “It simply had all the elements of a great escape novel.” It also has a love story that spans the ages.

FINDING COMFORT in OUR RESILIENCE

As  I write this, I’m reminded of what a resilient species we are. My illiterate baba didn’t have the comforts we have in this age, but she had storytelling around the kitchen table,  folk songs after meals, and jokes with those in her midst. Laughter and singing helped her endure the war-torn times of the early twentieth century.

We have it within ourselves to find solace if we only look for the possibilities. Robert and I make it a point to sprinkle the bad news with some comedy, either through watching Stephen Colbert or a series like The Office. It’s all about balance.

An Inspirational Anecdote

I recall an anecdote about a man who’d been diagnosed with a terminal illness. Knowing he had only a few months to live, he decided to go to the beach and rent a cabin where he could play video cassettes (remember those?). He rented a bunch of old comedies and laughed himself better.

I wonder about the truth of that story but it’s a good one. We can raise our spirits with laughter. We can reach out to friends and family if we are lonely. We may not be able to travel but we can travel  in our minds through literature, feature films, documentaires, radio and podcasts. Our minds are amazing.

The Power of Positive Thinking

When we first moved to British Columbia, I went to the first Holistic Conference ever. One of the speakers praised the book, Mind as Healer, Mind as Slayer by Kenneth R. Pelletier. The author shows the link between stress and serious illness. Some stress is positive; it keeps us stimulated in a good way. But too much of the wrong kind that keeps us awake at nights needs to be managed.

We’ve all heard about the power of positive thinking. It’s all true. Keeping up an outlook on life that says our lives are half full, rather than half empty can do wonders for our physical and mental health.

Grant it, it’s easier for some than others. I’ve been blessed with an optimistic attitude. I also come from a line of women, like my baba and mother, who weathered tough times but didn’t let hardship defeat them, even when typhus struck. That is why readers of my biographical novel, Sunflowers Under Fire, found it inspiring. Though some say you need a couple of boxes of tissue to get through the book, my baba’s resilience, her faith, and her love for family shine through the pages. Again I’m grateful for her sacrifice and her examples.

MY NEW NOVEL

My new novel, Lilacs in the Dust Bowl, comes out in late spring. I’m so excited. It’s a sequel to Sunflowers Under Fire, but I’ve also written it as a standalone, meaning you don’t have to have read the previous story to understand this one. It’s complete on its own.

I’ll be announcing the publishing date soon through my NEWSLETTER how you can order an advance copy and any related news.

STAYING STRONG

We all walk a different path in this life. Some get more breaks than others and I’m sorry for those that carry heavy burdens. I hope 2021 will bring in an era of more kindness, more appreciation of the simple things that our wonderful planet offers, and a recovery from the darkness that many of us have experienced and are still experiencing during this pandemic.

I welcome your thoughts. Until the next time, Happy Reading.