1. Can you practice feeling it more? Some things hurt – a lot. This is the most human thing. We never, ever want to, but the best thing for us is to feel through it – caveat, you can’t feel all the things ALL THE TIME. This can be done in teeny tiny morsels with a bunch of Netflix and distraction in-between and that’s ok. Just also make the space to feel. Talk it out. Cry it out. Write it out. Sweat it out. It’s not admirable or heroic to keep it all in – it’s brave to open your heart and let trusted people really, really, really in. Release it by feeling through it.

1. Glerups Slippers – $90 (*Comfortable and cute slippers that come in a wide range of colours. Available at Luna in downtown Charlottetown. These would make a great gift for anyone. Even though they are wool, they aren’t ‘too warm’ – which I’m very sensitive to!)

I am a first-time mother of a one-year-old. Over the past year, I’ve had to temper my fears a million times. From the first night home from the hospital when I held my breath as she slept, to letting her eat grapes, to watching her climb precariously on every piece of furniture we own – it’s been a daily practice of managing my own discomfort so that she can live her own “risk-filled life.” It can be hard to remember in these moments, but I do truly value risk-taking. As a counsellor and coach, my career is built around helping others take meaningful risks, and in my own life, I can easily connect the dots from “risks I took” to “most meaningful experiences I’ve had.” Now as a new parent, I have been reflecting on how I have come to appreciate taking meaningful risks.

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