Editor's Fix

Sometimes, I take on too much. (Okay, my family might say most times. But acknowledgment is the first step, right?) The holidays make it challenging for me to ignore this… habit? addiction? of mine, as I begin to feel increasingly overwhelmed with the list of things that need to get done, alongside the regular school / work / activity schedules.

Two years ago, during my first year on the board with the Columbia Basin Trust (CBT), we received a presentation on Climate Change Impacts and Implications. It was shocking and devastating and I 
left questioning my choice to have had children. What kind of mess are they going to be left with? I felt hopeless. 

Lately, I have thought a lot about women being labelled as emotional. Like it’s a negative attribute and something that should be discouraged and avoided. This has made me realize that people seem to have created a habit of commenting on other people’s emotional states. 

In January, I decided to remove the word ‘busy’ from my vocabulary. (Okay, I decided to try to remove it… it’s a work in progress.) Why, you might be asking. Well, I read an engaging article in the Harvard Business Review about happiness* and this point specifically spoke to me:

It’s the middle of November, and my willingness to dive into the Christmas spirit has arrived earlier than ever. (Less the Elf on the Shelf. That can wait.) I’ve noticed I am not alone. 

As adults, our lives are filled with tasks and timelines and schedules, to the point where we need to actively work on that connection with our spirit. While our kids might not be aware of it, they more easily live in this way and it’s something to be celebrated and emulated.

The happiness and confidence radiated from her, it was infectious and pure gold. The kind of feeling you hope your kids have a lot in life. The kind of feeling you have when you’re completely immersed in something you love.

Comforting is an understatement - our community is our Fernie Family.

Let’s all stop what we are doing, step outside (if not already there) and look around. Take a deep breath, inhaling the magnificent fresh air this mountain town provides. Relish in where we are, and count our blessings. We are here, in Fernie. Five minutes from solitude in any direction.

There has been a palpable change in the air throughout 2018, taking place within the hearts of us all. A metamorphosis, a realization, a process that has needed to happen to allow an awakening of sorts.