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This blog shares food, fitness and lifestyle tips, to help elevate mind, body, and spirit.
“Those who have the privilege to know, have the duty to act.”
~ Albert Einstein
I am a lifelong learner with several decades of experience as a parent, caregiver, employee, writer, speaker, and wellness consultant. More recently, I have become a grandmother.
My curiosity, life experience and love of learning compel me to teach what I've had the privilege to learn - and unlearn.
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Care for young children to become a better version of yourself
Children are not a distraction from more important work. They are the most important work. ~ C.S. Lewis My husband and I have again embraced the opportunity to care for our four-year-old and two-year-old granddaughters all week, while our daughter works from our cottage. To get the two-year-old to fall asleep at a reasonable hour at night, we have had to forgo the daily nap, which provided a welcome opportunity to clean up and prepare meals in peace. We have also been challen
Mary Maciel Pearson
2 days ago1 min read
"Losing our filter" later in life
Well, you're young. You know a lot you won't know later on. ~ Margaret Laurence I will never forget reading Stone Angel by Margaret Laurence in high school. The story is narrated by 90-year-old Hagar Shipley, a fiercely proud and stubborn woman reflecting on her life as she faces physical decline and the prospect of being placed in a nursing home. Having my own ninety-year-old grandmother living with us at the time, I witnessed the challenges associated with caregiving, frail
Mary Maciel Pearson
Jun 191 min read
Dietary & lifestyle practices for health
The greatest wealth is health. ~ Virgil Eat a colourful assortment of seasonal vegetables and berries daily. Use EWG Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen for guidance on what to buy organic. Garnish plant-based foods with the highest-quality animal foods. The more sustainably raised and grown, the more nutritious and the more satisfying. Choose food that is herbicide and pesticide-free, hormone and antibiotic-free, minimally processed with no added colours, artificial flavours, lab
Mary Maciel Pearson
Jun 123 min read
Some family traditions are worth keeping
Family traditions reveal what we value enough to repeat, and – if done with love – build warm, happy associations. ~ Daniel Willingham My husband’s paternal grandmother was a teacher. She started an annual spring extended-family theatre and meal reunion in Stratford over 50 years ago. Upon passing in her mid-nineties, she left a trust fund to help maintain the tradition. My mother-in-law took over coordinating the event until last year - a demanding task as the family grew ov
Mary Maciel Pearson
Jun 52 min read
Embracing uncertainty
Do one thing everyday that scares you. Those small things that make us uncomfortable help us build courage to do the work we do. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt Today, we are all being challenged to embrace uncertainty. Uncertainty about the future can create anxiety. I have definitely been challenged to adapt to unpredictability and become more resilient. Never knowing exactly where I will be needed and where I will be sleeping next, I have no choice but to remain flexible and go with t
Mary Maciel Pearson
May 291 min read
The power of words
Words have magical power. They can either bring the greatest happiness or the deepest despair. ~ Sigmund Freud The words we select and the language we use have the power to affect the people and the world around us. Words represent our beliefs, values, prejudices, and principles—sometimes in ways we may not intend. The words we choose can not only shape people’s perceptions of us but also influence them. Because I have grandchildren and aspire to help them be a positive influ
Mary Maciel Pearson
May 221 min read
The house is on fire
The people who test your patience are a blessing. Without them, you can't practice patience. ~ Nouman Ali Khan Feeling unsafe and a lack of trust are common traits in older adults in our family. Trust is often a byproduct of social density. When social circles shrink, trust often declines. Cognitive decline, particularly in the early stages of dementia, can affect the amygdala and prefrontal cortex—the brain regions responsible for evaluating social cues and determining wheth
Mary Maciel Pearson
May 152 min read
A thought-provoking obituary
People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. ~ Maya Angelou On Wednesday, I attended the funeral of a woman who died after prolonged suffering with cancer. The church was full. I was moved by the eulogy written by her daughters. It was thought-provoking, reminding me of David Brooks' book, The Road to Character. The book contrasts external "résumé virtues" (success, wealth, status) with internal "eulog
Mary Maciel Pearson
May 81 min read
Why am I here?
The two most important days in your life are the day you are born, and the day you find out why. ~ Mark Twain My husband and I stopped at a wellness retreat on our way to a wedding in New York City. I participated in a guided Soul Journey experience. The Spiritual Wellness Provider asked me to think of a question I could ask whoever I might encounter. Unprepared, I wrote down divine guidance on my soul mission. Breath-work and a drumming-assisted guided meditation took me thr
Mary Maciel Pearson
May 12 min read
Stubborn certainty serves no one well
Visionary decision-making happens at the intersection of intuition and logic. ~ Paul O’Brien Occasionally, I question my intuition and struggle with decision-making. “Strong convictions, weakly held” is a mantra I now repeat to myself when indecisive. It is a decision-making philosophy that advocates taking a clear, decisive position based on current information, while maintaining the humility to update or abandon it when new data proves it incorrect. The phrase is widely att
Mary Maciel Pearson
Apr 241 min read
When our parents become dependent
Aging parents show us the true meaning of patience, love, and the circle of life. Observing the age-related dependency and cognitive decline in our parents nudges me to do what I can now to reduce the likelihood that my children will have to look after me. Unlike the rapid growth of infancy, aging can be a gradual process of decline in which the body and brain lose capacity rather than gain new skills. Yet, we can easily overlook this decline in our parents until we face it
Mary Maciel Pearson
Apr 172 min read
If I change the way I look at things...
When we are no longer able to change a situation - we are challenged to change ourselves. ~ Viktor E. Frankl By reframing the challenges that arise in my life as opportunities to learn, unlearn and re-learn, I am able to remain calm and make a difference in whatever way I can. We cannot change the fact that my mother and my husband's mother, who are ill, now need support from their children. We are grateful to have siblings who are all doing their part. Much as I prefer to be
Mary Maciel Pearson
Apr 102 min read
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