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I was raised in an all female household, so I've never thought that there was anything a woman couldn't
or shouldn't do.
We travelled all over. The Continental USA, Canada, Mexico, England, Scotland, Wales, and France. Mom
was the only driver and the only time we ever went by plane was from North America to the British Isles. It was a glorious
way to grow up and learn about our world, it's people and the different cultures.
My Grandmother and I crossing the boarder between Mexico and the USA.
That's me with the braids and brand new poncho.
| Crossing the Mexican Border |
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| That's me on the right. Braids and yellow poncho. |
We used to take a long vacation every fall or spring and just go.......!
Mom would wake us up at 3am and tell us to pack for a vacation. We were leaving in an hour. She often
drove a thousand miles a day and I was the one who would stay up with her at night and keep her talking and awake.
We would meet such interesting people on those trips. Many people helped us out
at different times, like when the gas line came off the carborator and Mom kept turning it the key over to start it and a
truck driver screeched to a stop and probably saved us from blowing up. Once, a tornado whipped through our campsite and we
took shelter in the concrete bathroom with other campers and came out to find tents, campers, and trailers all scattered.
Another time, our mechanic forgot to put the screws back in and our brakes failed on a mountain, a family who owned a service
centre invited us to share their Sunday breakfast. There was even a man from Texas who followed us for many miles to return
a "bedroll" that had fallen off the top of the bus. I have learned that people are decent and basically good if given the
chance.
I've seen accidents and earthquakes first-hand, tornadoes, hurricanes, blizzards and ice
storms. I've seen storms in the desert where our vehicle was the tallest structure for hundreds of miles and lightning was
dancing from the sky to the ground in all directions.
In Oklahoma the lightning rolled like a ball of fire across the sky, half hidden and half visible
in the angry boiling clouds. Our little tent trailer shook and flapped while bullets of rain tried to tear right through the
canvas. It was as though the very atmosphere was ripping itself apart.
I've been to caverns where Jesse James perportedly stashed some of his loot, and ghost towns
where we panned for gold.
I have stood in the middle of Times Square in New York City and in Trafalger Square in London.
I've seen Niagara Falls and Stonehenge, the Grand Canyon and the Everglades. I've tasted so many different kinds of food it
is amazing. I had my first curried rice in Inverness Scotland, and eaten Onion Soup in Calais France. I ordered pizza to the
Marriot on Long Island. I ate wild boar and stag in Quebec City. I've cooked Caribou and Venison. I ate lunch in a Mayan Village.
I have stood under a full moon at midnight on a beach in the Carribean.
I've smoked a hooka pipe with two lovely men from Ottawa who explained the entire procedure and took
great care in showing me how (It was apple tobacco).
To sum it up, I've seen alot and have grown up wanting to experience the world, not just exist
in it.
Grama and I in Trafalger Square.
| Grama and I in Trafalger Square |
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Having grown up with such a role model as my Mom, who never gave up, never backed off from a challenge,
and never thought she couldn't do anything, I evolved into a determined, and adventurous spirit. It was probably her Mother,
My Grandma, who taught her to have her adventurers spirit.
My Mom hitch-hiked across Canada when she was in the airforce.
She was stationed up in the Territories and survived the remote location, the blistering cold, and the distance from her family
and loved ones. She went on a cruise in the Carribean and tried deep sea diving wearing the big brass helmet and heavy lead
boots. My Mom is a strong woman. She instilled that strength in me, just by example.
My Mom's Caribean Dive!
Nothing slows my Mom down. This picture of my Mom was taken in the Bahamas sometime around 1980
A gift of Strength!
I believe that life is a challenge. You choose how you want to live it. You only get the one chance
to make it the best it can be.
Empowerment is the feeling of knowing you can do what you set out to do. It is consciously recognising
that you can achieve a goal.
It is acknowledging your strengths and weaknesses and using them to your advantage.
Empowerment gives you the ability to change your paradigms and set new goals.
I am empowered with the innate sense
that I can succeed at anything I set my mind to. I can go anywhere I want to go, and do anything I choose to do.
I have piloted airplanes, ridden donkeys down the Grand Canyon, rock climbed, cycled 150km in
one day, came in 3rd in a 25 km walk-a-thon. I have held the hand of a woman giving birth, and held the hand of a woman
dying. I have gone water-skiing, down-hill skiing, and cross country skiing. As a teen snowmobiling, motorcycling, and horseback
riding were just modes of transportation. I can operate a front end loader. I had the chance to experience
all aspects of building a log home.
I truly want to experience all of what life has to offer, and believe in my heart that I can do anything.
This is empowerment.
| A New Day Has Begun |
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| Dawn's Embrace |
For My Children!
I want nothing less for my kids. They deserve to realize just how valuable they are in this world.
No one is better or worth more then they are. They have been taught to survive good times and bad. They are resilient and
honourable. They show mercy and kindness to those who need it, and stand up for themselves when it's called for. They have
lived in the city and in the country. Riding tractors and horses, stacking wood for the fire, or cooking supper, they can
do it all. They've done some travelling, and seen the Parliament Buildings in Canada and the White House in Washington. They
have adopted a Right Whale in New Brunswick and seen wild dolphins swimming freely. In Key West we ate at the Southern-most
point in America, and they tasted lobster and Key Lime pie for the first time. These girls once came to work with me and helped
feed residents at the nursing home. When I was in University they would occasionally come to lectures and seminars with me,
and would sit quietly unless asked a direct question. Later they would ask me some of the most thought provoking questions.
Acting and singing in school plays is a favourite for them. They hike difficult terrain, cycle long distance, and spend as
much time reading as they do playing. These children are going to be wonderful adults, as they are free spirits, who are already
empowered by a strong sense of self and family. They are now teenagers who impress me more every day. They do well in
school and also belong to groups within our community. Sleep overs are constant. The telephone is never on the hook.
Food comes into the house and seems to disappear right out of the shopping bags. Their friends are welcome any time. I am
so lucky to be their Mom.
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