It was late summer of 2011, shortly after our mother’s memorial service. My sister, Julianne and I, were driving through the rolling country hills of Caledon, Ontario. Our conversation was remembering people who spent time in our home. Our mother was a widow at thirty-eight with four children, but always had room in our home for someone in need that came across her path or her children’s path. Our spare bedroom was rarely empty. Julianne’s and my list of people totalled eighteen. A couple of weeks after that drive one early morning I was alone at home. I jumped onto my mother’s Facebook page and I wrote these words, “I am going to write a book about your life that will be a movie one day”. It is now 2020 and this is what has transpired to date: It took Julianne and me three years to find and interview those individuals who spent time in Read More

Upon completing writing my first book Love, Care and Share, I had to read the publisher’s proof copy to approve a production print run for the book’s distribution. Driving home I decided to hook up my 30ft. trailer and head to the lake. There I found the perfect spot and backed my trailer in. I had a spectacular view of the water and began proof reading. As I started reading I heard a knock at the door. When I answered it a gentleman apologized for disturbing me and explained, “I thought you were the same person I met here last week. He was right here in the same spot, and had the same style of Airstream trailer as yours.” As Doug turned to walk away he stopped, looked back at me and asked, “What brings you here?” I told him about proof reading my book, which I had just independently published. We were both drawn Read More

When I first set out to write this book my intent was triple-fold. I wanted to capture the essence of my mother’s life, I needed to write down the stories which would help me and others to share my mother’s legacy, and I knew that it would be a good opportunity to bond even closer to my sisters. I did not know that through the journey of gathering and writing down the memories and stories, that I would rediscover my mother’s life long legacy: to help find joy within myself and in others. Why I had to Write This Book: I believe all people have an inherent desire to help others. Too many people are caught up in their pursuit of material things, achieving their goals, collecting “things”, building financial wealth. This leads to a preoccupied, busy mind and people do not embrace and experience being present with this desire and want. This desire is Read More

A great friend of mine whom I have known since I was three year old has had an extremely difficult time lately. He realized his wife was having an affair and when he confronted her she decided to leave him for the other man. Bob was devastated and found himself falling into depression. He visited his doctor, a psychologist, and attended a self-help group for support. The doctors prescribed medication but Bob fell further deeper into his depression, which included serious thoughts of suicide. One evening he expressed his mental condition to his son. His son made a 911 call, and Bob was rushed to a local hospital. For two days he was detained in the mental health wing. During this time Bob was also having paranoid thoughts regarding his physical health and asked for full blood works and a physical examination. While waiting to see one of his doctors he met Trish in the Read More