Erin's Journals

Just a thought… Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness. [Desmond Tutu]

Welcome in – and I’m happy to share, at last, a bit of good news.

No, our house hasn’t sold; we’re still living straddled between two places, although we have vacated the house while leaving it (mostly) furnished so that it appears lived-in. The St. Joseph statue planted in the garden and even the little feng shui golden frog gifted to me from my podcast partner and pal Lisa haven’t yet done their magic, but again, our fingers are crossed. It’ll take more than talismans (talismen?) to sell our place; we expect, as it was in our case, it’ll be the right people walking in and falling in love.

The good news comes in the form of a new home for our father, who spent over a month in a hospital bed awaiting any port in a storm. We finally got word two weeks ago from Interior Health here in BC that they’d found him a bed in a four-man room at a local care home in Kelowna.

He seems to be adjusting to the way they run things, albeit with uncharacteristic (dementia-sparked) cantankerousness: Dad refused to get out of bed the other day when they were rousing the other residents. He’s gotten used to sleeping in until 10 am and, once the folks at the home discussed his preferences with sister Leslie, things were ironed out. They really seem to care and now Dad sleeps as long as he wants, as often as he wants.

Kind of like the way I’m living right now, if I’m honest.

We’re grateful that we’ve found a place for Dad to be cared for. His needs became too much for Leslie to handle, plus (like us) she’s changing her living arrangements and they wouldn’t have accommodated Dad’s growing care requirements. We’re also thankful that the home is near to sister Heather’s place. Her husband drops by regularly with treats and Dad’s feeling anything but neglected.

I want to share with you a small personal milestone that was marked on the weekend: I collected a five-year coin for sobriety. There was the customary cake, as those who also celebrated – whether two months or 44 years (all accumulated just one day at a time) – told their stories and enjoyed the fellowship of a lot of good people.

Rob presented me with my chip and told everyone how proud of me he is for staying sober during the hardships of the past six months. It hasn’t occurred to me to self-medicate, even in the depths of depression. I’m just so lucky to have my partner urging me on, giving me strength and being just so very tolerant and understanding. In a time when it’s so easy to slide into a bad case of the summertime blues, (for which renowned rock ‘n’ roll philosopher Eddie Cochrane reminded us there is no cure LOL) I count my blessings. And no doubt, Robbie is at the top of that list.

Have an easy week and I’ll have a new Drift with Erin Davis sleep story for you tomorrow, plus of course we’ll be back Thursday with Episode 81 of Gracefully & Frankly with Lisa Brandt. We have some fun news to share with you then – don’t miss it and a chance to get a neat little gift just for listening and sharing us with your besties.

Just a thought… Speaking words of wisdom, Let it Be. [Paul McCartney]

(taken a few years back in their BC yard)

We had our first FaceTime with the grandkids this past week. They were understandably frenetic and running around to show us the mostly-empty rooms (furniture is due to arrive on the truck today), the latest in snack foods and their uber-cool basement play area. No meaningful conversation, but then, I think those may be taking a hiatus for a bit – at least until we all settle into a routine of when we can sit for heart-to-hearts. And that, I realize, may come only in person.

During a quiet evening before his recent move to Ottawa, I had a chance to sit down with Colin. I felt a need to instill some kind of wisdom before he, his sister, parents and beloved furry family member Sammy (to whom Dottie is as attached as we are to the humans in the family) pulled away to board the ferry to the rest of Canada and begin their week-long drive to Ontario.

Do you remember any advice your grandparents gave you? Or did they just lead by example?

Mine never sat me down and talked to me; it just wasn’t a thing for the generations that preceded us (or at least the ones with whom I’m familiar). But the grandmother to whom I was closest did write in my autograph book long ago, these words:

They’ve always stayed with me. Maybe it’s because I love a rhyme (and I do love those), but mostly because they’re true. And I wish I knew where Gram picked that up, because I haven’t been able to find it credited to anyone else. And I think that they are words that this tough-as-nails depression-era bride lived by through the death of her toddler daughter and the hard times that accompanied living with the moody ladies’ man/musician/artist who was my beloved Grandad Moore.

I had given this a lot of thought. What could I possibly say to a nine-year-old that might stick with him?

I told him two things: to be kind – to remember what a beautiful and loving heart he has and never to let that be crushed by anyone. To know that not everyone will like him and it will be the hardest thing to understand (as it was for me) but that they didn’t matter; all that matters is his kindness to those who need it most. And he’s already living by that advice; it’s part of who he is.

The second bit of wisdom (or at least it is for me) is this, and you’ve heard me talk about it on Gracefully & Frankly with Lisa, and here so often: you won’t be able to control the things around you, so all you can control is how you react. To put it in terms he could understand, we said we didn’t want Lauren to die, but she did and all we could do was open our hearts to love even more people like Brooke, who became his mom, and of course his sister Jane. We decided we would be happy again, just as he is adjusting to leaving his life here for new adventures.

Did any of my words sink in? Who knows with a child that age? He has a mind that can tell you what team won the 1953 World Series, or the jersey numbers of more players than names I know – both in hockey and baseball – but where, in that brain, do these words land?

Perhaps they’ll find their designated home in his heart. And he’ll remember the words that were meant as stitching when it’s breaking, or fortification when he needs it. They have done so for Rob and for me in the past, as they will – hopefully – continue to do in the weeks and months ahead.

And on we go – paddling slowly and looking ahead instead of over our shoulders – as best we can.

Welcome to a new week – and I have a special treat for you. Before my former radio partner Mike Cooper departed last week, we sat down for a heart-to-heart (complete with pups) on the deck. Enjoy the view and stay for a special “love ya, buh-bye” as he heads off…. Here’s a link.

Just a thought… There are friends, there is family, and then there are friends who become family. [Author Unknown]

I hope this new week finds you well. Rob and I have been keeping very purposely busy the last few days with the departure of our grandkids and their parents last Wednesday and the joyful arrival the next day of my former radio partner Mike Cooper. And not only is Mike here, but a terrific guy, our friend and former production superstar from CHFI, Chris Shapcotte ferried over from his home in Vancouver Friday to spend a long weekend with us.

So what have we been up to? We’ve been doing a lot of talking while readying the condo for our move-in (date to be determined once we sell our house), and also dismantling a most important part of our current home.

But it’s not been all work! As you’d expect, we’ve been having a great time: eating out, gently exploring our little part of Vancouver Island and, yes, having lots of laughs.

Last night, Rob, Chris, Mike and I went for dinner in downtown Victoria and then, at the insistence of a friend of Chris’, we stopped by an ice cream shop. I didn’t order anything, but as you’ll see, that didn’t stop me from enjoying the sweetness of the moments I’ll share with you now in this video featuring Mike Cooper.

Enjoy – and I’ll be back with you here next week, and as always on Facebook and on Threads and Instagram (@erindawndavis) and X (@erindavis). You can keep up to date there and we’ll talk again soon.

Just a thought…

Welcome in – and thanks for spending some time here again this week.

These next few days are heavy on our hearts. I’m digging deep for all of the stoicism I can muster as we wave good-bye to our grandkids and their parents who will be on their way back to Ottawa, likely tomorrow, depending on the moving truck schedule.

So in light of that, I’m sharing with you a wonderfully-written piece by my Gracefully and Frankly podcast partner and dear longtime friend Lisa Brandt that I will pore over again and again in trying to harden but never close my heart. I hope it helps you, too, if you’ll take a moment to read it. Here’s a link.

Have a gentle week – Lisa and I return with Ep 77 of Gracefully and Frankly this week and I do hope you’ll listen.