Beauty from Ashes.

2025 is almost done. It’s been a good year. I decided that this year was about me for me to change what I’ve been doing all the years that wasn’t working. I have struggled with my weight and to be told that I’m in the range for heart attacks and strokes. Weight messes up so much of your life. My knees hurt so much and it was hard to keep up at work. I was in pain. I was overweight and never seemed to ever lose any. I had no idea why.

I found an amazing gut health group that has changed my life in so many ways. I knew that my gut is my second brain and if it’s screwed up I had to get it fixed in some way. There is no magic pill. Instead it has taken me to learn why I’m in the situation I was in. I started an amazing probiotic called Zive 7 and joined that community as well.

My gut health group is through an amazing and world renown doctor Dr. Anna Toker. Check out her website she’s got the most amazing knowledge.

https://drannatoker.com/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/zivealive/?ref=share&mibextid=NSMWBT

With taking Zive alive I’ve stopped all my acid reflux medications. I started to eat cleaner and I’m amazing at how well I’ve been doing. I’ve lost 15lbs I was recommended to lose 30lbs. I’m in a program through my health system called Lifestyle RX it is so about blood sugars. I can reverse my insulin resistance get my numbers down and it will go into remission. Wow that’s amazing. I love this program is 12 weeks with weekly zooms, homework and regular blood work.

As well as doing all of that I moved my business forward and love telling people about these drug free patches. They work so well in my life and with my weight loss and my patches I can walk better and move better at work. They work so well with everything else I’m doing. If you want to check out my website or you have any questions. Please reach out to me. There is nothing like this in the entire world. It’s 50 years ahead of it’s time. Yes you heard me right. It’s amazing technology.

https://wellnesswithsarah.superpatch.com/solutions/mobility

I’ve also been working on strengthening my body this year with an amazing physio. I’m so much stronger. I love how this year was about me changing what wasn’t working for me.

As we close 2025 and come into 2026 what things do you want to work on. I’m going to continue on my health journey and see what other opportunities come my way.

Happy New Year to you all.

I love the season of Christmas. It’s my favorite holiday in the entire year. The story of Jesus being born is amazing and I’m truly fascinated by it. It’s a beautiful story and to me it’s the only reason for this beautiful season. I love all the Christmas songs. The Christian radio station I listen to starts playing Christmas music last two weeks of November. I often sing along at home or in my car. I love the lyrics. So beautiful things about it.

JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON. I find it hard when do many people say Happy Holidays or don’t talk about Christmas but as a winter holiday. Christmas has changed so much over the years. It’s all about wanting things and for me it’s about hanging with family and friends and enjoying food together.

Don’t get me wrong I like presents but I love giving more. To be able to bless someone is the greatest gift. This evening I was blessed with a gift that I never expected and it blessed me tremendously.

This season I’m hanging out with my mom. I will be hanging out with her all of Christmas and we are going out to a restaurant that is right on the water for dinner. I’m looking forward to my day with my mom. I’m also spending time with my brother and mom and friends.

I also get to hang out with my favorite kid. I’ve missed him so much. He’s a massive blessing in my life. He makes me laugh more then I have laughed in a while.

Isaiah 9:6: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace”.

Isaiah 7:14: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel (God with us)”.

Luke 2:14: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests”. 

I pray for those who have lost someone. It’s a tough time of the year for many. That’s why I keep it simple and have so much gratitude for what I have and the people in my life. ❤️

Merry Christmas to you all.

Today I went to the Cemetery where my father in law lays and Larry’s brother in law is as well. I love how quiet the cemetery is. People who come are quiet as well. It’s a very peaceful place. My father in law when he was alive he loved views so his grave overlooks the cemetery. He has a headstone with the verse Wings on Eagles. I had forgotten how much he loved Bald Eagles. They are very significant in my life as well. He had a huge leather bald eagle in his home, and these bald eagles outside that when the wind blew their legs moved.

I didn’t realize until he died how significant they were to him. He was an amazing man and had the most powerful testimony of how God looked after him and his family as they fled from Poland. For his 50th wedding anniversary I made a photo album of him and his wife growing up. I interviewed their families and I got to know both of my in laws really well. I still my mother in law.

As I walked through the cemetery through the misting rain remembering the days when Eugene was alive. He was fun and he was always so caring and he would teach me about a lesson or something that was important to him. I learned a lot of valuable things from him. I’m sure he’s in heaven playing cards games with his siblings, my dad and those who loved him.

I thought about all the other people buried in there what their lives where like. Who they were. There’s a lot of history in that cemetery.

I walked up the hill and down the pathway to where Larry’s brother in law is and found his wooded place his ashes were. Graydon loved the woods. It was quite overgrown because his wife my sister in law no longer lives in our city. It was hard to find. He was an amazing man that I had the privilege of knowing him. Graydon loved to whistle. He was always striking up some tune. He loved a good debate and often was in one. He loved his family so much and I still pass the home where he brought up his family. He is missed so much as well.

I found much peace at the cemetery today. It’s a beautiful place to think and remember those we have lost. Even in the Misty rain it’s beautiful.

On Monday December 15th will be be the 1 year anniversary of the the death of my dad. Not sure where a year went. Seems to have flown by. The tears started again last weekend and have been continuous. Today I drove down Cordova Bay road the familiar road and cried down it. I remembered all the times I walked it with my dad. I saw the lane way that back in November we spread his ashes down on the waters edge on the beach  along with my grandpa’s. The memories are so clear.

He is missed everyday but I find myself talking fondly about him. It was hard year for my mom. She’s got her new hip now and I know she misses her walks with you. Her days are busy but her nights are long. When the family gets together we have fond memories of you.

Your ashes now are in this ocean the one you loved more than anything. You sailed and knew every inch of it. You loved to swim in it and then you walked that beach for over 40 years. I still have the rocks you gave me from our walks. I wish we could walk one more time. I miss you so much. Thanks for being the best dad I could ever imagine.

On Monday I’m taking the time off school to spend it with my mom. We are going to a coffee shop that my mom and dad used to go and get coffee from. I am glad I get to spend this day with my mom. It will be good to remember. He’s definitely missed by all of us. I love that our family is closer because of his passing. You may be gone Barry but you are never forgotten. Until we meet again. ❤️

After my husband left he took almost all our Christmas decorations. I was really sad because many of them I had been given as gifts or ones what were very special to me. I hated decorating the tree even though it’s small. I felt sad. I felt detached from my tree for years. It’s hard to explain.

Over the years people have given me ornaments that have meaning to me. Karen my Irish friend gave me many amazing ornaments and my husband left me with a handful of ones that we had collected together. Today I realized that my little tree is full of amazing new memories.

This ornament was given to me by my group of friends from the life church. They are part of my life group I’ve been part of for over 12 years or so. They gave it to me when my dad died last year. My little tree is no longer lovely. I realized I’m loved by so many. I’ve created new memories now. I’m blessed.

The tiny nativity set was given to me by my good friend Bonnie. It goes up under my tree every year. I got that when her kids were little and every year it makes me smile. Another sign of love under my tree.

I just watched a Netflix series called No One Saw Us Leave. To be able to watch it shows me how much I’ve healed. Some of the scenes in the series were identical to my story. It’s a story about a father who took his children away from their mom and how he was able to escape with them so many times. The Father’s family helped him be able to get away so many times.

That’s what my dad did was take by brother and I including all our passports and left on a plane to England where his family lived. My mom was unable to follow because my dad took her passport as well. My mom has to wait to get another passport. This series took place in the 60’s and mine was in the 70’s. I noticed that in this series the mom was told that the dad had gone on holidays and would be back. My mom was told the same thing knowing that we weren’t coming back.

There was no amber alert back then and in later years you got your photo on milk cartons for the missing children. This mom in the series they lived in Mexico and she was able to catch up with her children in France, and then Israel. He told the children lies about their mom. These children twice tried to run away and when their mom found them in Israel they were in this camp. She was allowed to visit them but the children at first were scared of her because of all the lies.

The judge ordered the Father to come back to Mexico for the trial as Israel didn’t have an extradition policy. I still couldn’t believe the Father was allowed to escort the children back to Mexico alone and again tried to hide the children. In the end he gave the children back to their mom and they didn’t see their father for 20 years. The daughter Tamara wrote the book ” No One Saw Us Leave.”

My mom looked for us at my dad’s parents house we were staying there apparently. The day she came with her family my dad has stashed us next door with the neighbors. I can’t imagine knowing your children are so close but you can’t see them. The other difference was the mom in the series at least had communication a small amount with the dad. My mom had nothing for 12 years. My dad took my brother and I to Ireland and I never saw her again for 12 years. I was almost 2 when we left and my brother was 5 and a half.

My mom had private detectives looking for us. My dad has run again to Ireland. That’s where I grew up. In the series the dad looked after his children. In our case we experienced the worst abuse possible.

I remember my dad sitting me on his lap one day and telling me that he took us because my mom was mentally ill and she couldn’t look after us.

My mom never stopped looking for us. 12 years later my dad wrote my mom and sent photos and said she could see us, but if she tried to take us he would leave and never come back. Ireland similar to Israel does not have an extradition policy. We both eventually came back to Canada to live.

As I write this yes this upsets me and my dad was never prosecuted. I could have done that, but I had 5 younger siblings and I didn’t want them to grow up with no parents. So both him and my mom were never prosecuted.

Nine years ago I forgave my dad and step mom for everything that happened to me as a child. That’s why now I stand for children/ animals who have no voices. That’s why I stand on the truth.

What happened to me as a child made me into the person that I am today. I am strong and I have massive passion for others especially those in trauma. My mom is the strongest person I know and I’m so glad that she’s my mom. My step dad was the best dad I ever had.  I always wanted in my life  a dad to love me and he filled those shoes in more ways then one. My story had a happy ending and I’m blessed.

That’s why I wrote my memoirs on my blog. I didn’t want to write a book because my 5 siblings are still alive and I needed to protect them. Their dad and mom never treated them like my brother and I were treated. They were too young to know what happened or fully understand it. I’m happy with my life and I still get to share mine with two of my siblings. I’ve not seen them in 30 years. God’s in charge of that. Maybe one day we will reconcile. That has been my prayer and hope. ❤️