[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”291″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1555508445561{padding-top: 30px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Journey to Wellness” font_container=”tag:h2|font_size:40|text_align:left|color:%23232323″ use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1599171112281{padding-bottom: 40px !important;}”]Everyone has a story. Everyone experiences suffering. Everyone has challenges. Some try to just get on with life and ignore them. Some face them head on and see it simply as a bump in the road. Others put on a happy face, display beautiful snapshots of their happy life on social media and no one ever knows the struggles they are facing in real life.

I have been lost in the haze of dealing with one crisis after another in parenting my three boys (twins with autism and one with mental illness) while juggling a fast-paced career. There was never enough money, never enough time, never enough help. I felt trapped with no options. I was stuck. My stressors couldn’t be reduced as long as I had these boys to take care of. I couldn’t run away from my problems or bury my head in the sand. There were still mouths to feed, crises to manage and bills to pay. If I heard one more person tell me that I needed to take care of myself, I was going to scream. Of course I knew that I had to, but there was no time for gym memberships, no time to catch up on missed doctors appointments and no money to pay for respite so I could run away on a holiday for “self-care”.

But in early 2020, the wheels fell off from the stress. They tell you when on an airplane that if you are traveling with a child, to please put on your own oxygen mask before helping the child. Easier said than done when it goes against every instinct to put your needs first as a parent. But along came a pandemic to shake everything up and put it all into perspective.

Without taking away from the stress and horrors that COVID-19 has brought to countless people around the world, this time of change has been my blessing. Early self-reflection jolted me into finally understanding the importance of that airplane instruction. How could I be in this game for the long haul if I don’t take care of myself first? Thus began my Journey to Wellness and becoming unstuck.

Throughout my life whenever I have felt alone or trapped, writing has been my way out of it. I created this site to share my experiences, stories and learnings to hopefully inspire someone else who might be going through their own struggles. But it occurred to me that because I haven’t got all the answers, I would invite a group of friends who are also on their own journeys, to join me in the sharing. Together, we can get unstuck together.

Our Voices come from different perspectives from everyday people, with struggles touching on themes of disability; ally-ship; battles of mental illness, physical illness and addiction; caregiving and fighting injustices in the world. We may not all share the same views, but this is a space of free speech, inclusivity and respect for each other, while understanding that we all have the same goal of wellness and love for others and our community. I am inspired by each one of these individuals and hope you will be too.

I have been told that life is meant to be full of landmines and shit. It is how we deal with those challenges that defines us and it is how we battle to find the goodness and the joy within those challenging times, that will help us to be at peace. I also believe that giving back and offering a hand to those bogged down in the muck, is our true purpose.

I am getting unstuck myself and with the help of these friends, I believe that we will be well on our journey to wellness together.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]