Mary's Moments Life Blog

It started so casually, I almost ignored it. We were entertaining a family member on Friday, just visiting, nothing out of the ordinary. Then out of nowhere, I felt it, a strange, needle-like sensation just under my right eye. It wasn’t quite pain but it wasn't comfortable either. It travelled upward toward my eyebrow, almost like something was “waking up” under my skin. Naturally, I kept touching it. Pressing it. Trying to figure out what on earth it could be. We’ve all don

Easter, like a lot of things in life, has layers. Kind of like those fancy chocolate eggs you tell yourself you’ll “just have one bite of”and then somehow, it’s gone. It doesn’t come in loud. It doesn’t kick the door down like Christmas. It doesn’t demand attention. It’s softer. It’s in the way the light lasts a little longer. In the air that doesn’t sting your face anymore. In that tiny, almost unnoticeable shift where things feel… possible again. And if we’re being honest,

Most of us don’t need better planners. We don’t need another system, app, or colour-coded chart. What we actually need… is less. Less noise. Less mental clutter. Less explaining ourselves to people who don’t really listen anyway. Somewhere along the way, our personal lives became overfilled - like a drawer that won’t close because we kept shoving things in without ever deciding what belonged there in the first place. So, here’s a question worth sitting with: What actually ear

March is a funny month. It can’t decide if it’s winter or spring. One day we’re scraping ice off the windshield, the next day we’re daring to crack a window open because it smells like thawing earth. And right in the middle of that unpredictable, muddy, hopeful season… is St. Patrick’s Day. Green everywhere. Shamrocks taped to windows. Kids in dollar-store headbands with glittery clovers bouncing around like they’ve had three juice boxes too many. And then, two days later, Ma

If you’re a woman over 50, chances are your body has changed the rules without consulting you first. One day you’re fine, the next day you wake up sore from sleeping. Sleeping! The activity we were promised would fix everything. Welcome to the season of life where health becomes less about bouncing back and more about managing wisely. Many of us are juggling multiple health issues at once because apparently one would be too simple. Some common guests at this stage of life: Ac

I never knew how much love my heart could hold until I became a mom. It wasn’t the kind of love you read about in storybooks, soft and easy. No - it was messy, overwhelming, exhausting, and all-consuming. It was love that kept me going through sleepless nights, through the times I questioned myself, and through the tears - theirs and mine. Because let’s be real: motherhood isn’t just about the giggles and milestones. It’s also about crying alongside your baby at 2 a.m., prayi

Valentine’s Day tends to split us into camps. There’s the “roses-and-reservations” crowd. The “I bought this card at the gas station five minutes ago” crew. And the “do not speak to me unless it involves chocolate” group. Most of us? We float somewhere in the middle, wanting to feel loved, appreciated, seen, but also not thrilled about fighting for a dinner reservation at 5:15 p.m. on a Saturday. And honestly? That’s okay. Because Valentine’s Day has never been one size fits

Not long ago, I wrote about how to remember (most) everything you learn. But memory is about more than just remembering facts. It actually plays a huge role in shaping who we are and how we live our lives. Memory affects our jobs, relationships, and even what we believe in. The way we remember things changes how we see the world and how we make sense of what’s happened to us. What’s really interesting is that our happiness often comes not from what we’ve gone through, but fro

A few years ago, I hit a wall. Not the dramatic, fall-apart kind. The quieter one. The “ why does this still feel so heavy ?” kind. On paper, life looked fine. Maybe even good. I had checked off goals I once dreamed about. I was showing up. Trying. Doing the work. Holding everything together with the kind of competence women are praised for. And yet… something felt stuck. Not broken. Not failing. Just stalled. Like I was walking in circles, brushing up against the same invis

Starting off today with a poem....   Another year has passed And we’re all a little older Last summer felt hotter And winter seems much colder.   There was a time not long ago When life was quite a blast Now I fully understand About “living in the past”   We used to go to weddings Football games, and lunches Now we go to funeral homes And after-funeral brunches   We used to go out dining To places near and far Now we get sore asses From riding in the car   We used to go to ni

New Year’s Day always feels a little different, doesn’t it? The rush has passed. The calendar page has turned. The house is quieter. There’s a pause in the air that invites us to breathe before the year really begins. Today isn’t about goals or resolutions or getting it all right. It’s simply a moment to acknowledge where we are - carrying lessons from behind us and hope in front of us, even if that hope feels uncertain. If today finds us rested, grateful, reflective, or stil

There’s a moment I love in the early morning - before the house fully wakes up - when everything is still. The coffee is hot. The light is soft. And for a few minutes, no one needs anything. That’s usually when the bigger thoughts sneak in. As 2026 approaches, there’s a familiar feeling floating around again. Not loud. Not dramatic. Just that gentle internal nudge asking, Where am I really headed? There are two kinds of women walking into this next year. And if we’re honest,

May your home be warm and your heart be full. Wishing you good company, good laughs, and moments that make you smile long after the tree comes down. And if this season feels a little quieter or heavier this year, I hope you still find moments of comfort and a bit of light in unexpected places. May the season wrap us all in a little extra peace and a touch of joy, with small holiday moments that feel quietly right when you need them the most. 🎄 MERRY CHRISTMAS 🎄

There’s this moment every year when you can feel Christmas starting to sneak in.Not with anything big - usually it’s something small.A store puts out the first box of candy canes.Someone down the street hangs their lights early.You see a child in a puffy red snowsuit that makes them look like a walking ornament. And just like that, it begins. Lately I’ve realized we don’t just celebrate Christmas – we remember it. In colours, in smells, in tiny flashes of old memories. And t

Every December, most of us are running on fumes, counting down the days until January like it’s some giant reset button. We crawl into the new year hoping it will magically rearrange our lives without us lifting a finger. No reflection. No celebration. No intentional pause. Just poof - New Year, New Me! But honestly? That strategy has the same success rate as wishing your laundry would fold itself. So, what if this year… we didn’t stumble into January like a herd of tired pen

It hit me the other day - somewhere between making lunch, answering a text, and trying to remember where I left my glasses (spoiler: on my head). I suddenly caught myself tuning in to the running commentary in my mind. And let’s be honest… that voice can be a bit of a jerk. You know the one. The voice that pops up the moment you catch your reflection in the mirror and says something like, “Well… you look how I feel.” If that inner voice were a real person, it wouldn’t make th

Life is full of surprises. Sometimes things just don’t go as planned. Like spilling milk on the counter - it might seem like a mess, but maybe we should try to think along the lines of - what if that mistake leads to something better? After all, mistakes, like sour milk, can turn into something useful and teach us valuable lessons. When milk goes sour, we know that with a few other ingredients, it can become yogurt. Yogurt is enjoyed all over the world for its taste and healt

I’ll be honest - I’m still not great at this. I want to be the calm, unshakable type who never gets thrown off by someone’s tone, a rude comment, or a sideways glance… but I’m not there yet. I’m working on it. I’m just opening the conversation, because this stuff? It’s not easy. We all like to think we’re level-headed - until something hits that old nerve we thought we buried years ago. Suddenly, boom. That wave of irritation, hurt, or defensiveness comes crashing in, and the

Relationships can be complicated, and many people find themselves asking, “Am I with the right person?” It’s a question that crosses the minds of even the most committed couples at times, especially when the early sparks of romance begin to fade. But how do we really know if we’re with the right person? Every relationship starts with that exhilarating rush - late-night talks, butterflies when they text, and a feeling like you’ve found your missing piece. It’s effortless. It’s

It’s wild how quickly old thoughts can creep back in. That little voice that whispers, “Should I really spend this?” or “What if it all disappears?” Even when things are fine, the scarcity mindset somehow slips through the cracks. It’s almost like it’s been sitting in the corner, waiting for an opening. Lately, I’ve been trying to catch it before it gets too loud. The truth is, it’s easy to tighten up when the world feels uncertain - when grocery prices climb, or when a bill

There’s something about Halloween that levels the playing field. It’s the one night when the CEO and the grocery clerk might both be standing on their lawns dressed as inflatable dinosaurs, waving at passing princesses and superheroes. It’s when the grumpy neighbour with the “Keep Off the Grass” sign becomes everyone’s best friend because he’s handing out full-sized chocolate bars. It’s when the shy kid finds their voice behind a pirate mask, and the cool teenager suddenly re

Have you noticed how life seems to sprint even when we’re barely jogging? Our calendars fill, inboxes overflow, and somehow every “quick thing” steals another hour. We tell ourselves we’ll slow down later, but later rarely shows up. It’s a funny kind of irony - the faster we go, the less we seem to get anywhere. I’ve started realizing that the real power move isn’t always to keep charging ahead. Sometimes it’s to stop - not permanently, not dramatically - just long enough to

This Way Forward is an honest guide for adults with disabilities and the people who walk beside them in Ontario, Canada (and beyond). From tough emotions to burnout-proof advocacy, and from isolation to building community, it blends practical tools, personal stories, and hard-earned wisdom.