Tutum Journal | Issue 8 | Winter 2022 | For & By Childless Women

TUTUM winter 2022 • issue 8 • joy

Journal

A Dwelling Place For Childless Women In Every Season

LEARN

FROM A MASTER OF MEDITATION

FUR PARENTS SPEAK FROM THE

HEART

MAKE

THE MOST OUT OF YOUR LIFE AFFIRMATIONS

NOURISHING YOUR MIND, BODY & SPIRIT IN

MIDLIFE

tutumjournal.com

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How Self-Connection Leads To Joy

CONTENTS

Therapist Katie Maynard shares her expertise on how to reclaim joy along your childless path.

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Life coach Carrie Brauninger brings us on a journey from single, childless, and joyless to meaning, fulfillment, and immense joy.

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Living A Meaningful Life Without Children

Mental health advocate Katy Parker candidly shares the interwoven lives of her and a friend and what helped them find meaning in their lives without children.

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How My Dog Helped Me Grieve

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Ayurveda: A Path To The Self

I Find Joy In Each Day Worksheet

Meditation teacher Bindi Shah offers a glimpse into an ancient Indian healing practice.

A self-reflection on uncovering sources of joy in your everyday life.

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The Joy To My Grief

Blogger Penny Rabarts describes how she was intentional to not let grief hold her back from indulging joy.

I Will Make The Most Out Of My Life Affirmation Affirmation reflections on reprogramming your mindset and thinking pattern.

in every issue Page 6

CONTRIBUTORS Page 7

EDITOR’S REFLECTION Page 7

TUTUM SURVEY Page 20

Childlessness And Pets: Celebrating Our Unique & Worthy Relationships Counselors Sarah Roberts and Judy Graham interviewed six women to shine a light on the importance of pets in their lives.

Readers reveal what they think about key subjects relevant to the childless community.

Page 26

GAME CHANGER Spotlighting the achievements of trailblazing childless/childfree women.

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Walking My Way To Joy Again Life purpose coach Naomi Geidel on how wandering off the beaten path in Bangkok, Thailand inspired joy of beauty and oneness with nature.

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MEDICAL AWAKENING Examines medical conditions and relevant information of interest to childless/childfree women.

Page 32

Page 36

Embracing Your Inner Child When You Don’t Have Children

NAVIGATING AGING

Nutritionist and author Tansy Boggon taps into her joyful inner child on the art of writing children’s books as a childless not by choice woman.

Explores topics, gaining new perspectives, advice, and relevant information associated with women aging without children.

VOLUME 2, ISSUE 8 Tutum Journal™ (ISSN 2766-9580) is published quarterly by Tutum Global. For more information about Tutum Journal, please visit us at www.tutumjournal.com, or email us at info@tutumjournal.com.

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FOUNDER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jobi Tyson

EDITORIAL Charlie Bishop Brandi Lytle

COPYWRITER Rosalyn Scott

CONTRIBUTORS Tansy Boggon Carrie Brauninger Naomi Geidel Judy Graham Sheri Johnson Katie Maynard Katy Parker Penny Rabarts Sarah Roberts Bindi Shah

© 2022 Tutum Global. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in part, or whole, without prior written permission, excepting brief quotations in connection with reviews written specifically for inclusion in magazines, newspapers, blogs, or limited excerpts strictly for personal use. Designed in the U.S.A. DISCLAIMER: Opinions expressed by the authors are not necessarily those of Tutum Global, disclaiming any liability to any party for the accuracy, completeness, efficacy, or availability of the material contained in this publication. Any medical information is for your general information only and is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice.

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EDITOR'S REFLECTION + FEEDBACK Choose joy. Practice joy. Know joy. Live joy.

Joy is different for everyone.

And so it was for the childless women who contributed to this issue.

For this issue, we focused on childless women’s joy, because joy is happiness with a purpose. It’s a statement to ourselves and the world that we are still here, unashamed, and undefeated. More often than not, our disenfranchised grief is overlooked and ignored while we’re still processing it.

At times, it can feel like there isn’t a lot of room to breathe. Until a friend makes a joke or an elder tells you a long story or you hear that one song you needed to.

T-shirt: www.TutumStore.com

Joy is an indispensable force. It can strengthen our resolve, help us uncover creative solutions, and bolster our resilience.

Joy is caused by elation at a moment in time. Joy may not always be about oneself but be about others' contentment as well. In this issue, we look at why joy is so crucial in this moment, how to make space for it, and find joy in the spaces where we can simply be.

Tapping into her inner child is why Tansy Boggon writes children’s books.

Celebrating unique and worthy relationships, six women reveal how their pets contribute to the joy and richness in their lives. And walking the beaten path in Thailand reminds Naomi Geidel that joy is present in the moment.

Honoring a 20-year friendship, Katy Parker exclaims children or not, they have decided to make the best of their lives.

With gratitude,

Jobi Tyson, MBA @tutumjournal @childlesswomen Facebook.com/childlesswomen YouTube.com/childlesswomen

Joy allows us to be our fullest selves. As Katie Maynard writes in a thoughtprovoking piece, “There is also a lot to learn from joy, and the strength it can take to welcome it back into our lives.” In a time where profound challenges surround us in a deeply hurting world, it has been a complete joy to curate this issue.

We needed this.

TUTUM SURVEY

WHAT YOU TOLD US To carefully curate each issue’s theme to support and strengthen the mental well-being of involuntarily childless women, we took Instagram polls using question-wording: Do you feel that there is joy beyond childlessness?

89% Yes

11% No

Are you experiencing true joy in your life?

35% Yes

65% No

“When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy.”

— Rumi TO SUBSCRIBE VISIT www.tutumjournal.com

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How

Self-Connection Leads To Joy

BY KATIE MAYNARD, LICSW

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Why would childless people want to talk about joy?

While it is true that childless people often feel deep sadness and anger, it is also true that we have a desire to find connection and renewal from joyful experiences on this unexpected life path. I’d like to examine what joy truly means, what causes our disconnection, and how to reconnect to the joy within ourselves and our community.

Joy is one of those experiences that can be difficult to pin down with words. How is it described within psychological literature? Is it simply an expansion of happiness?

According to renowned psychologist Robert A. Emmons, in comparison to happiness, he says that “Joy, on the other hand, seems to suggest a more ecstatic understanding of agency than ‘happiness’ typically allows: an understanding of the human in which our action, our responsiveness, is solicited, to join in something larger than ourselves, as we are called into true communion with others, in richer, more exuberant life.”

There are a lot of terms to unpack there, but what stands out to me are the emphases on agency, exuberance, and connection to something larger than ourselves.

Agency is a sense of control over events and actions, which is frequently at odds with a childless lived experience. Many of our choices are constrained by realities in our lives, social norms, or other people’s choices. Pleasant emotions are vulnerable to embody because they can dissolve in an instant and we don’t always have control over the events that we will face.

The saying “We can choose our feelings” has become common and may feel empowering, but I believe it is unhelpful and inaccurate. Humans naturally experience emotions and perhaps the greatest agency that we have as individuals is to compassionately adjust the way we hold, interpret, and respond to them. A childless person with a loss of agency might think, “How will I feel joy again if I didn’t choose any of this?”

A rich, exuberant life sounds lovely, doesn’t it? One thing that childless people reckon with is that many of the moments supposedly bringing the most joy have to do with parent status and family constellation. The grief and loss found along a childless path can temporarily displace much of our joy. We can be out of touch with

cheerful emotions or maybe even believe that we don’t deserve them. Sometimes we might wonder, “When did I lose that enthusiastic, exuberant part of myself?”

When I think back to my most joyful moments, many of them have indeed held a larger meaning. They have confirmed and strengthened my attachment to people, places, and a sense of belonging. The reverse is sometimes true for childlessness. We can be aware that our place at the table is shrinking and protectively diminish our connections. We’ve grown up in societies and families that likely led us to believe that we would be connected to a larger meaning primarily through parenthood.

Unsurprising, we are left feeling betrayed, alone, and apart.

What are some helpful next steps after acknowledging the reasons we may have disconnected from joy? We can gently reshape any beliefs we might hold about what should create joy. If our joy is stolen or lost, then a way to have more control along our path could be to actively seek it out from new experiences or rediscover past pleasures. As a personal example, I’m currently finding a great deal of joy from my bird song identification app, and it reminds me of the vitality and connection that I felt spending my childhood outdoors.

Our loved ones may be confused about why it is frightening or confusing for us to connect to joy. We could bring up this discussion within our relationships so those close to us can understand our feelings stemming from our childlessness. Maybe there are new friends to be made and these friendships will make room for all our emotional states and show us different ways to embrace them. Witnessing and appreciating the joy of other childless people will only strengthen the bonds within our community. I think we could all benefit from a cheering section as we dare to embrace our vulnerable moments.

We can take comfort in the fact that it is very normal to have deeply contrasting feelings co-existing even during times of difficulty. Letting ourselves embrace glimmers of exuberance and joy does not mean that we didn’t want to be parents after all. People often say that grief and anger are important teachers, but I think there is also a lot to learn from joy, and the strength it can take to welcome it back into our lives.

Katie Maynard (@childlessnessintheroom) is a therapist and supervisor advocating for greater clinical competency with childless people, based in the United States. www.katiemaynard.com TO SUBSCRIBE VISIT www.tutumjournal.com

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How My Dog Helped Me Grieve

BY CARRIE BRAUNINGER

A

s the years passed and I was still single and childless, joy was muted. As I got older, reaching “advanced maternal age” should I become pregnant, joy seemed out of reach. Now, I am no longer anxious that I may not have children. Now, I know I will not have children. Motherhood is not going to happen. The grief was excruciating. It was a time of loneliness, and feeling misunderstood, judged, and alone. Very alone. Today I can experience joy. Genuine joy.

Joy snuck up on me. My joy’s name is Gavin. Gavin, the two-year-old Great Dane. He is gentle, loving, accepting, sweet, friendly, outgoing, and playful. Watching him live his best life brings me immense joy. It’s a feeling I was struggling to find before I brought Gavin home. I had turned 40 the year before. I was single and childless and felt like I just fell off a cliff. It was harder to remain hopeful. Being childless was becoming more isolating and I felt I had less and less in common with my friends. I was also grappling with feeling that my choice to have children was taken away from me based on circumstance. Being childless due to singleness, being childless for reasons other than choice blindsided me.

Women grow up conditioned that they will be a wife and a mother, and she wouldn’t feel real love until she had a child.

It seemed a certainty. Every woman I knew had children. Everything I saw on television and in the media confirmed that women become mothers and it would be the best job in the world. As time passed, I became less sure I would have children, yet I always held out hope. The universe wouldn’t do me like that, would it? I turned 41 and was at an all-time low. Motherhood was not going to happen for me due to circumstances.

Gavin brought me back to the present. He came into my life like a tornado and brought hope with him. He comforts me, loves me, and wants me. I am his person. Staying stuck in sadness and grief was not possible. I had to take care of him.

His love broke through my grief. My thoughts turned to him and our future versus having thoughts stuck in the past or about what was not going to happen.

The dog park is a part of our daily routine. Gavin loves it, but we go because no matter what is going on in my life, watching my pup play, watching other people love on my dog, seeing the joy on their faces when Gavin goes up to them to say hi, it makes me quietly smile. I watch my dog from across the park and feel genuine joy.

I do not have a romantic partner, I do not have children, and yet Gavin and I have a life together.

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"Now, at 43, I have a life of meaning, fulfillment, and joy."

Carrie Brauninger, LCSW (@theotherpaththerapyandcoaching) is a licensed clinical social worker specializing in providing therapy and coaching services to those who are childless not by choice based in the United States. www.theotherpaththerapyandcoaching.com TO SUBSCRIBE VISIT www.tutumjournal.com

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Living A Meaningful Life

WITHOUT CHILDREN

BY KATY PARKER

Visiting Maya again, I could not help but notice a spark in her eyes. She looked like she had again found joy in her life after so many years. It was the second time that I had travelled to see her since her unsuccessful IVF treatment a few years ago. We were two women with no children. It’s not something we would have imagined twenty years ago when we became friends, but it's something that still connects us and that we both have had to learn to live with. And we haven't just learnt to live with it; we decided to rewrite our story. Because who says that you can't have a joy-filled, happy, and meaningful life without children?

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Creating a joy-filled, purposeful, and happy life without children doesn't come easy and requires some work.

But so do many of the things in life that are worthy.

However, being able to see beyond our pain and appreciate what we have makes it easier. A daily gratitude prayer and a journal are helping me with this.

I believe that everything happens for a reason, regardless of how painful it may be. No, I don't always understand the reasons for everything that has happened in my life, but I know everything has a purpose. I believe that God has a unique plan for each of His children. And so, perhaps the reason why we don't have children is that we were made for a different purpose.

Maya once asked me, "What's wrong with me, am I defective if I can't have children?"

"Of course not, and don't even dare to think so!" I told her. "You are so much more than just a woman who is supposed to have children," I added. And she is.

She is a wonderful friend, an amazing auntie, a lovely wife, a great sister, an intelligent businesswoman, a talented artist, and so much more still.

Our childbearing status does not define who we are.

However, it is something that we must learn to accept if we want to build a happy life. Accepting God's will and your fate will bring freedom and joy to your life.

Accepting a childless life is not easy. The only way to cope is to go through the grieving process instead of avoiding or ignoring it. So, feel what you need to feel, cry or scream, just don't stay stuck there. Pray that you can accept your situation and focus on the blessings in your life. Because although the sorrow and heartbreaks may never totally disappear, they don't have to be the only thing that fills your life.

There are many things that you can fill your life with to make it happy and exciting. Friendship is just one of them. Having a childless friend can help you to accept your life. So, make friends with people in a similar situation to yours. Most of my friends do not have children, or their children have already flown the nest.

This way, the conversations with your friends won't constantly turn to a topic that would be painful for you.

Surround yourself with people in a similar situation to yourself, who are content with their lives. You may draw from their inspiration. And sometimes just talking to them about what you truly enjoy can help you to find your purpose. So, consider what talents or skills you may have and what passion you can bring to the table. Do something that brings you joy.

I remember when Maya first showed me her paintings. I was like, wow! I'm not very artistic, but I could see her talent. I told her that she had a gift so it shouldn't be kept hidden. Maya enjoys painting landscapes, so after I moved to the seaside, she painted a picture for me as well.

The support was mutual. She supported me to pursue my passion when I returned to writing after a very long break. Writing is what gives a purpose to my life, knowing that my words are encouraging others on their journey.

I used to spend every summer with my niece, and I'm so grateful for our time together. Those days are a gift to me. So perhaps you have nieces or nephews whom you could help with whilst their parents are busy. Or, perhaps you are looking after your parents.

I believe that you are making a difference to all the souls you touch.

Maya and I are both still on our healing journeys, but I can see her face and spirit lifted. I can feel it, and it lifts my heart as well. I'm looking at a strong person who is full of life. Finishing her coffee with a smile on her face, she is telling me about the plans she made for my visit. There is so much excitement between us, and we are ready for another adventure. We don't look like we are missing something, rather as if we have found something. And we have! Children or not, we have decided to make the best of our lives. After all, we only live once, but if we live it fully, even this is enough.

So, take the pen into your hand and rewrite your own story. Don't give childlessness or infertility the power to decide how your story ends. Own it! Because you can make life without children meaningful, you just need to choose to do so.

Katy Parker (@journeyofsmiley) is a well-being writer, blogger, and mental health advocate, based in the United Kingdom. www.journeyofsmiley.com

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Ayurveda

A PATH TO THE SELF

By Bindi Shah

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Ayurveda means the knowledge of life, and the teachings of Ayurveda encompass everything to do with life and well-being.

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Joy as a notion of peace, balance, and well-being is something that Ayurveda, the ancient Indian healing practice, expresses in its teachings. The human person is seen as a physical, emotional, and spiritual being, and even though Ayurveda is an ancient practice, it has relevance to our lives today.

Joy with its interpretation as contentment, balance, and equilibrium can be seen by looking at the body in an Ayurvedic way. The body is composed of what is known as doshas; these three doshas can roughly be translated into English as the constitution or composition of the body. The doshas, Vata, Pitta, and Kapha, are made up of a combination of the five elements of air, water, fire, earth, and ether. Vata is air and ether. Pitta is fire and water. Kapha is water and earth. When the three doshas are in harmony with the person, there is balance; but an imbalance of the doshas leads to the body’s balance and health being in disarray. In Ayurveda, the person is seen as a whole being – mind, body, and soul – which means an imbalance can be felt in any area of the person.

In fact, during my years of practice as an Ayurveda practitioner, I saw that a significant number of people’s physical ailments had an emotional root to them. An issue or imbalance with the doshas can easily show up in the mind. A chatty mind shows an increase of Vata (air and ether), a volatile and reckless mind shows an imbalance in Pitta (fire and water), and a sluggish and lethargic mind shows that there is too much Kapha (water and earth). Balancing the doshas which showed up in the mind, also helped alleviate some of the physical symptoms people experienced.

By purposefully looking at harmony, balance, and of course joy in more detail and doing the things that bring about those emotions, it is possible to be at more peace with the mind and the body.

Let’s look at some Ayurveda ways to increase the joy and peaceful balance in life. As Ayurveda is concerned with the whole of life, the scriptures include remedies for physical and emotional ailments, as well as daily rituals to maintain health. These are what lead to the peaceful joy that renowned poet Rumi quotes, “When you feel a peaceful joy, that’s when you are near truth.”

Abhyanga is the Sanskrit term for applying oil on the body. This oil application or gentle massage is part of the daily rituals that are set out in the ancient scriptures, within which the knowledge of Ayurveda is written. The oil application in particular balances the Vata (air and ether) of the body, nourishes and strengthens the body, and relaxes the mind.

Vyayama is the Sanskrit word for physical exercise, which is also listed as a daily routine. We all know how important exercise is to the body and mind. I call my daily walks, my ‘soul-walks.'

I use the time to connect with the natural environment around me, I take photos of the flowers and scenery which I see and allow myself to be fully immersed into the energy of the day. It is a wonderful practice and inevitably brings joy as I notice things and allow myself to be with nature.

In fact, nature, for me, is a huge joy-giver. Joy can be found in noticing the change in seasons and the way the light changes; fully being in the moment and allowing some moments of joy into the day. Yoga would also be included as vyayama or physical movement, and as well as physically helping the body, it is also seen as a whole mind and body practice.

One of the main things I experienced during the years of childless grief was the emptiness, sadness, and depressive state I fell into. It was so hard to come out of this feeling and one of the ways was meditation. This is again one of the daily rituals written about in the ancient scriptures. In meditation, the mind is focusing on something other than the chatter, which is usually what the worry or anxiety is about. This focus of the mind leads to a balancing and calming of the mind.

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A meditation practice begins with pranayama or breathing techniques to calm the mind and prepare it for the insights that will come from the meditation. One of my favourite breathing techniques and a highly effective one is the longer breath exhalation. Inhale or breathe in for a count of 4 and exhale, breathe out, for a count that is longer – 6, 7, or 8. Longer exhalations help activate the vagus nerve, reversing the stress response in the body. Those fight or flight responses are lowered and there is a calming of the mind and the body. Doing this breathing often will help with bringing in the peaceful joy you need.

I find it amazing that ancient practice, said to be about 5,000 years ago, can bring joy into our everyday lives in the 21st century. These daily moments of joy can be gained by following the daily rituals of oil application, physical exercise, yoga, meditation, and breathing. Do one or all of them and allow yourself to feel the balance. Adapting these ancient practices into your everyday life now can help you find deeper joy.

Bindi Shah (@letterstomysoul) is a writer and meditation teacher who specializes in guiding meditation classes for the childless not by choice community, based in the UK. www.bindishah.com

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THE JOY TO MY GRIEF

BY PENNY RABARTS

I’m single and childless, and I choose joy.

But is that to my detriment?

I’ve been privileged. I was brought up with a roof over my head, food on the table, and higher education was possible and achievable. I have used that privilege to assume that anything is possible for me. If I put my mind to it, it’s achievable.

I always ran to the beat of my own drum. I wasn’t one of the popular kids.

I happily made my own plans and met characters as a consequence.

I was, however, good at sports and academics and with that came privilege and status. And to be honest, because of that privilege I think it allowed me to care less about what others thought.

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I still care; of course I do. I care when I’m not included, and I care when accolades are given for achievements I’ll likely never achieve.

So, I celebrate myself and write my own storybook. I choose joy.

I travel extensively, I date freely, I turn up, I advocate for my passions, I walk in nature, I support family and friends, I read widely, I converse with strangers, and I bake for others because I choose joy.

Then COVID-19 happened.

I lost a lot of joy, I lost the freedom to travel, and I lost a partner because proximity highlighted red flags ignored.

I couldn’t see family – they were an ongoing-lockdown away. I couldn’t always bake because scare tactics tore flour from the shelves. My health suffered.

Throughout that long period of COVID-19 restrictions, I still chose joy.

I took regular walks to converse with other dog owners on their one-hour, two-hour walks. I got involved in the local community and joined an environmental group to clean the local creek that my dog and I frequently visited. A whole new world opened to me when I “came out” to the childless community.

now becoming a source of joy.

I was making connections over interconnected experiences and life circumstances. We took ownership in taking a new direction. Best of all was being able to know exactly what you meant when you said your time seemed less important to your family than your childbearing siblings, or how good it was to have a conversation not interrupted or dominated by children.

I’m forever an optimist so I’ll see the good for much longer than I should before I concede to the shade, but that doesn’t mean I don’t realise it’s creeping up.

If I had not had that grief, I’d never have seen or felt the joy.

I met women who related to my story. I talked about MY story (I never dreamed that would ever happen).

Joy, I had joy from something that had caused me so much grief.

My years of grief in not realising the life that I thought I would have in meeting my life partner and bringing children to the world, was

grief, how can I truly acknowledge my joy? If I hadn’t sat with my disenfranchised grief of my late 30s and understood what that was years later, how could I move on to feeling the joy of connections made through a similar experience?

I have to pause on that last paragraph because it reinforces my point here. I didn’t realise my grief in my late 30s because I didn’t know that’s what was happening to me. I consciously chose to push joy onto myself with travel, achievements, and refusal to embrace what was happening to me. But, until I did see it—see that pain for what it was—I couldn’t release it and let the goodness flood in.

If I’d not experienced the pain of becoming single, I’d never have realised the joy of renewed independence and simplicity in consultation with self.

I didn’t even know my backpack was so full, nor did I even realise what it was packed with – most of it the layers of expectation carefully stored amongst the heavy weight of pronatalist propaganda.

So, by choosing joy, is this to my detriment? In small paper cuts of not giving space to grief, am I denying myself real joy?

Once I realised I was carrying the backpack and looked through its contents, I regenerated those experiences and built up strength into resilience. You don’t carry a heavy backpack for that long and not become stronger.

If I don’t sit in the grief or the pain of an event, I do not get to fully realise the puff and expansion of joy as it fills my lungs and sometimes turns out a chorus of an unfamiliar song in the shower.

And I got to experience joy from something I hadn’t even realised was possible.

Nobody wants grief. I did not choose to have a miscarriage. If I ignore my

Don’t get me wrong, grief doesn’t have to occur for joy to be felt. But if I chose joy every time, I would be denying myself the real depths of joy after sitting with grief and realising it.

This is the joy I choose, the joy to my grief, the Yin to my Yang.

I choose this joy. Unapologetically.

Penny Rabarts (@pennyrabarts) is a lover of travel and a blogger, based in Australia. www.thechildlesswanderer.com TO SUBSCRIBE VISIT www.tutumjournal.com

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Childlessness and Pets:

Celebrating Our Unique & Worthy Relationships

BY SARAH ROBERTS AND JUDY GRAHAM

We know how important pets can be, yet many people without children also feel shame or judgment from others for the significance that animals can play in their lives.

As childless women, we can experience social exclusion based on our non-parenting status. Pronatalist cultural stereotypes and micro-invalidations can make our experiences invisible, disenfranchise our grief, and stigmatise our childless identities. Sadly, our relationships with our pets are not off limits either.

Pets contribute to our physical and mental health, wellbeing and social connections, and our sense of purpose and meaning. Yet, the way that childless women and/or childless couples and their pets can be talked about can have a particular negative flavour. Labels such as “crazy cat lady” or “dog mum” can be used to diminish us. Comments such as “you selfishly chose pets over children”, “your dog is a replacement for your child” or “they’re not real children you know!” can bruise our already broken hearts. But they also hide the complexity and value of these unique and precious relationships.

Coming to terms with childlessness and particularly the social exclusion during the grief years can be isolating. Pets can be intimate domestic relationships that offer companionship and the psychological safety that we sometimes struggle to find elsewhere. Pets experience the world very differently, and they encourage us to explore new ways to approach our unexpectedly childless lives. They teach us that loving and nurturing are not just parental qualities but universal human qualities that we can all embrace. We were delighted to invite six childless women to share stories of their pets.

They described intimately their pets, their personalities, quirky habits and particular needs, and the thoughtful and tender care they provide.

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Family Brandi

South Carolina “Caring for Maddie is one of my greatest joys. She loves to open presents and her birthday is a blast! Maddie does not compensate for not having kids; she is the most incredible creature. She is sassy, spunky, and adorable. She plays hard and gives the best cuddles. I find it hard to put into words what Maddie means to me, as she has helped to heal my heart and embrace a childless life. I simply cannot imagine our lives without her. We love her intensely and she is 100% part of our family.”

Fulfilled Sarah

North Carolina “My pets are my children, period. Since I will never carry a child, they are indeed my children. I care for Willa, Josie, Myla, Remington, George, Ernie, and four Nigerian dwarf goats all day every day. When they are sick, I bring them to the doctor. I train them, bring them to social outings, we hike, and swim… sure, they don’t have two legs, and I didn’t carry them, but they are my everything. My pets give me life. They give me purpose. They have given me a reason to be thankful rather than bitter or jealous. They are what gets me out of bed every morning and what keeps me going.”

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Precious Abigail Oklahoma

“My pets Deucalion and Filmore bring me joy, laughter, and tears sometimes if I'm honest, but they have given me an outlet— someone to take care of. It is so helpful to have someone around that has no empty words of encouragement and no judgement when you can't really explain why you're having a hard time; they're just there for you. They sense when you're upset, and they are there to comfort and make you laugh. I think a lot of people assume we just didn't want kids and chose to have pets instead.

It's a little tricky to explain to everyone who asks if we have kids and not seeing the point in telling the whole long story, so I just say, "No kids at home, but we have a dog and a cat. They're our little babies."

Wholeness Mayumi Hawaii

“We have Akila, my ‘giant Chihuahua’, our rescue dog Jiro and seven outdoor cats. Caring for our fur crew is a lot of work but I feel it's a calling—a hand I was dealt by the universe. Our animals all have diverse personalities, and they keep our life in the Hawaiian countryside interesting.

My mother has referred to herself as my dogs' grandma and that makes me smile. My pets give me the opportunity to feel that I have a ‘mothering’ relationship to something.”

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Joy

Jennifer Texas

“Clogs is funny and goofy and has been my baby since before I was even trying to have a baby. I've been told that I give him too much of my time, attention and worry.

But I'm okay with that. I've also been told a dog mom isn't the same as being a real mom, and maybe it isn't. Honestly, how would I know? But I do know that my heart is full of love for him. He brings life, joy, and laughter into our home. He has helped me see that love is love.”

Happiness Libby Alabama

“All three of our dogs—Sarge, Nelson, and Dusty—have BIG personalities.

We are Mom and Dad to our dogs. It never occurred to me to be anything different. I have never acted like owning pets was the same as raising children, and I don’t see our dogs as replacements for children, but oftentimes people make that assumption. Dogs bring unconditional love. They have a sixth sense of knowing when you need a good snuggle. I’ve had a rough couple of years (health-wise) and our border collie especially has been the best four-legged nurse I could ever ask for.”

Sarah Roberts (@theemptycradle) is the founder of The Empty Cradle, providing individual and group programs for childless women, based in Australia. www.theemptycradle.com Judy Graham (@womenhood_counselling) is the founder of WomenHood, a counsellor and group facilitator for childless women, based in Australia. www.womenhood.com.au

For 2022 World Childless Week, Sarah Roberts and Judy Graham hosted a Childlessness and Pets webinar. To watch on YouTube, search World Childless Week.

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Walking Walking My My Way Way To To Joy Joy Again Again

BY NAOMI GEIDEL It threw me for a loop when I started to experience deep moments of joy. I thought living this life would never again afford the feeling of joy. How could I when I lost the dream of having children in a loving relationship? Yeah, there is the possibility of a relationship in my future, but all that was lost from not having one at this point carried so much loss and heartbreak.

I was living the double whammy as some would say, but from what I experienced in my grief, it was a whole lotta whammies. This experience has touched every part of my being. It has changed my family and friend relationships, my confidence, my creativity, my health, and impacted my work.

Coming back from that didn’t seem possible. It seemed too overwhelming to put the pieces back together again.

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Until it happened.

Until I felt joy again.

Deep, soul-screaming joy.

It brings tears to my eyes as I write that very sentence.

I can feel that moment in my body. To be without joy for any length of time, yet you know that it feels like just another loss.

So how did joy reenter my life again?

Time.

Love.

Healing.

Peace.

Acceptance.

I found some of these moments walking the streets of Bangkok, wandering my way around the back neighborhoods off the beaten path. I was able to take in sights, sounds, and smells I had never experienced before. I was able to witness smiles from those walking a different path from me. I got to witness different ways of living. From this experience, I was able to reflect on my life and see that there was a possibility for a new way forward. That there’s more than one way to live this life on earth.

Walking among people that are the same but different from me, put into perspective that I was already living a somewhat unconventional life by living overseas. I thought if I could do this, I could navigate this single, childless life. A life that many don’t understand holds many stigmas, unwelcome thoughts, opinions, and a myriad of other things that I continue to unpack.

I kept walking, thinking through life and what was available to me. I can still bring many of my creative ideas to life. I can still have meaningful relationships full of love and support. I can do work that matters, has an impact, and leaves a legacy. And most of all, I can live a life full of joy.

Another layer to experiencing joy again has been getting my hands back into creative projects. I’ve approached this in a new way than I did before. I come at it with more curiosity and playfulness now. In the past, I wanted to get to the end result quickly and with the least amount of effort possible. Now I approach life with more play and less expectation. I lean into the process rather than the destination. I know that I need this time to hone my skills and set a good foundation for the work I want to do in the future. So that means a lot of watercolor paper is being used just for the process of it.

Bangkok ,

Thailand

I’m thankful for the miles spent wandering the streets with tears in my eyes. It gave me time to process and see things differently. From there, it led me back into my creative arts and enjoying the process in a new way. With all these things coming back into alignment, I can happily say, joy is mine again. I am so thankful it’s ours for the taking even when life doesn’t go as planned and heartbreak has been felt.

Naomi Geidel (@acreativepurpose) is a teacher, life purpose & transition coach, and podcaster, based in Thailand. www.naomigeidel.com TO SUBSCRIBE VISIT www.tutumjournal.com

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GAME CHANGER

Tracey B. Wilson on Her Journey To Comedic Acting & Transformative Filmmaking AS TOLD TO JOBI TYSON

From sketch and improv to stand-up and physical comedy and soap operas to indie films, Tracey B. Wilson has been performing in one form or another for most of her life. Whether on stage or for the screen, she loves to embody imperfect, relatable characters, regardless of gender.

We had an exclusive interview with the accomplished comic, actress, and filmmaker who resides in New York City with her husband Jim. We discussed how she got into acting, filmmaking, her short poetic film #ThisIsMy Story, her advice to her younger self and future filmmakers, and more.

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I am originally from Orchard Park, NY - Home of the Buffalo Bills! I am the middle of three girls and grew up in a very creative home. My Dad taught elementary school art for 33 years (he was my art teacher for fifth and sixth grades!) and my Mom stayed home to raise my sisters and me before becoming a teacher’s aide. Activities were a priority in our family, and we played lots of board games. You do not want to play Pictionary against a Wilson!

Although we didn’t have a lot of extra money, we had everything we needed. Our parents instilled in us the importance of giving our time and showing up for others. It was a Golden Rule upbringing all the way.

When my sisters and I were young, my Dad would take us with him in the evenings while he built sets for the school plays.

So, naturally, I would run around the theatre and dance around the stage. I remember I couldn’t wait to be nine because you had to be in third grade to be in the show! As a five-year-old, NINE was practically twice my lifetime away. But I couldn’t wait, because then I would be old enough to be on stage with the other kids. I knew when I was five that I was going to spend my life playing.

I used to love staying up just late enough to hear my parents laughing at Johnny Carson’s opening monologue on The Tonight Show. I knew he had a special kind of power. I realized then that I wanted to enter the world of comedy.

Comedy breaks tensions and comedy connects. Laughter and crying are very close to each other in our bodies. They can both make us shake our shoulders and tighten our chests, and they both help us express and process our emotions.

I find that dressing up an important message with costumes and wigs lets it sneak up on people. If you can be entertaining, even when you have something important to say, it can help reach more people. If you get people laughing, you may also be able to connect to their hearts. I also love the energy and drive of comedy.

We were fortunate that our school district had a great theatre and music program. I was in all the school plays and president of the drama club. I sang in the choirs, played flute and saxophone in the jazz band and orchestra, and was drum major of our high-school marching band. I was in everything that existed at our school that had anything to do with performing!

After a brief time in college, I began my professional acting career in the thriving theatre community in Buffalo. I moved to New York City to study acting further and to pursue a life in the arts.

To be handed a new script with a role that challenges the status quo is always exhilarating. My career has led me from comedy gigs on The Late Show with David Letterman to being a high-energy live-event host for Pokémon and TeamUSA and becoming a performance-art photographer on tour with Lady Gaga.

I had always been pulled towards film and its power as a medium. I was eager to expand my career by adding “filmmaker" and "content creator” to my resumé. Yet it wasn’t until contemplating these questions that I thought about my WHY.

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I find that dressing up an important message with costumes and wigs lets it sneak up on people. If you can be entertaining, even when you have something important to say, it can help reach more people.

If you get people laughing, you may also be able to connect to their hearts.

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It’s so obvious. I wanted something I created to live on after me.

The definition of the word CREATE is “to bring something into existence.” I had spent most of my life just assuming I would bring a tiny human into the world. But when that didn’t work out as planned, and I couldn’t create a child, I felt lost.

I eventually had to look in the mirror and ask, “Now what do I do? How do I even begin to process these emotions?”

In 2016, as I was coming out of the darkest days of my infertility journey, I made my first solo video project, Tracey’s Coming Out Party. I felt immense satisfaction in creating something out of nothing. A blank page that turned into words, that became pictures, that became a story, that existed outside of me. I proved to myself that yes, I AM a creator. I CAN create.

To honor the resiliency of those of us in the childless-not-by-choice community, I created #ThisIsMy Story, a short poetic film for RESOLVE’s National Infertility Awareness Week (NIAW) 2022.

I spent about a week brainstorming and thinking about what approach I wanted to take. I was using props and wigs for the other videos I was making for NIAW 2022, so I knew I wanted this one to be different. I wanted it to be raw. I needed it to feel authentic. This was my story.

Usually when I write, it comes in phases. I write some first ideas and a rough draft. Then I let it marinate. I brainstorm, I rewrite and then I write some more. But this one? It was all flow.

Once I sat down to write, it just poured through me. When I realized I was writing in verse, I spent the rest of the day with a rhyming diction and a thesaurus. Time stopped. When I blinked, it was twelve hours later and I had my story.

After I had the poetic script, I had to figure out how I’d shoot it. In my earlier infertility-focused work (Tracey’s Coming Out Party and What it Means to Aunt Honey), I talked directly to the camera. But after being part of Sundance’s Documentary Filmmaking program, I have become a more advanced filmmaker, and I wanted this one to be more cinematic. I wanted it to have the feel of a documentary.

I decided to record the story as a voice-over. The only time you see me talking is towards the end when I am looking at you, through me, in the mirror and I say, “You are not broken.”

It took me a while to figure out how to shoot myself in the mirror without seeing the camera. And I am really happy with how it turned out. Those words are VERY important to say to myself, and to anyone else who might be listening! YOU ARE NOT BROKEN! #ThisIsMyStory begins with a square shot of an empty swing on a playground and ends with a letterboxed shot of me joyously swinging. I have reframed myself and my life.

There is a high level of vulnerability that comes with sharing our authentic stories. But it is important that we do – when and how we are able. Because that is where we find connection.

I feel a certain amount of responsibility to see a type of story that I didn’t see in the darkest days of my infertility journey.

My story. I needed to know that I would be okay, even if I didn’t have a child.

That is why I am so grateful to Tutum Global!!! Thank you for a safe space to connect and for a platform for showing us that we DO exist and we thrive!

I am also incredibly grateful to RESOLVE for leading day one of NIAW with my video. Especially because National Infertility Awareness Week can often feel like it’s only about showing the “happy endings.”

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I know it meant a lot to me and so many others in the childless not by choice (CNBC) community to showcase a story about a woman thriving without kids after infertility. We can often feel like we don’t exist. I received many emotional comments from people saying they “feel seen.” That type of connection to a stranger’s heart fills me with purpose.

One of the most poignant comments on the video said, “Thank you for putting my journey into words. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve said, ‘I’m broken.’ No more.”

That something I created—that didn’t exist in space and time before I created it—could help another person feel seen, even for just a moment, brings me a beautiful type of liberating joy.

I am proud of all the content I’ve been creating over the last couple of years, both for the infertility community and the sketch comedy videos I shared during the early days of the pandemic. One of my all-time favorite creations is a sixtysecond black-and-white silent film I made in the spring of 2020 called Another Quiet Day. I had always dreamt about creating a physical-comedy character like Buster Keaton or Charlie Chaplin. And I am SO HAPPY that I finally did! It took me over 100 hours to write, shoot, and edit that one-minute film and it was worth every second!

Knowing what I know now, I would tell 20-year-old me to embrace the journey! I would say that you are here on this planet to have a uniquely human experience and that that in itself is an incredible gift! Do not compare your life to anyone else’s.

It is yours alone. You do not need to justify anything to anyone. Try not to judge things in terms of good or bad, but in what it can offer you and what you can learn and share.

I would tell 20-year-old me you might not get everything you want, or everything everyone else has, but that doesn’t mean your life is better or worse—just different. And different is not always bad. Different can be beautiful.

People will need to hear your voice. Do not be afraid to use it.

Also, my advice to future filmmakers would be that making art is about observing and processing. So, pay attention to what you see and feel. You can learn shot lists and you can learn how to edit, but your voice and point of view can’t be taught.

Trust that your experiences are important. Your unique voice matters. Continue to explore and develop who you are and what you stand for. What do you want to say and why? No other single person has had the same journey as you. What can you share from yours?

I am excited about this next chapter of my creative life! I am currently working on two documentary feature films, edited from my private video journals. One film is called Tracey in the Window, about my time alone in New York City during the first four months of the pandemic. The second film is an adult coming-of-age story called Breeding Awesome, that will honor the CNBC community and tackle the themes of identity and legacy, and what happens to a creator who can’t create.

My mission is to show the childless community that there is so much joy to discover in this life. It is our birthright to THRIVE. And thrive we do!

Connect with Tracey: @traceybwilson • www.traceybwilson.com

Nominate A Game Changer: If you know a hidden gem in the childless community that deserves recognition, email us at info@tutumglobal.com.

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EMBRACING YOUR INNER CHILD

WHEN YOU DON’T HAVE CHILDREN

BY TANSY BOGGON

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In uninhibited and playful moments, I might watch the potatoes roasting in the oven and sing, ‘Let’s get a sizzling.’ Or I might pick up an avocado and say, ‘Hey, Avo. Want to smoosh up to my toast?’ In these moments, I am expressing the playful and creative child I once was. It is this childlike energy within me that I draw upon to write children’s picture books and create recipes and food-related activities that appeal to children.

In these moments of creativity, I feel pure joy.

I admit there have been moments when I have wondered, ‘Who am I to write and create for children when I don’t have them myself?’ So many children’s book authors I meet or interact with online are mothers or grandmothers writing stories for their children or grandchildren. They may have told a story many times to giggling children at bedtime and have received confirmation that children enjoy their stories.

However, I have no children. And my nephews, who live an ocean away, have outgrown picture books.

I have come to understand and frequently remind myself in those moments of uncertainty that we don’t need children in our lives to remember what it is like to be a child—to remember what we found funny or fascinating, what games we enjoyed playing, and what is beautiful and mesmerising.

Having children in our lives, whether nieces and nephews or children we work with, can help us to see the world through children's eyes, with the sense of wonder that children have. Yet, all of us, whether there are children in our lives or not, can tap into this childlike energy within. It’s just that being around children helps us notice it and legitimises us behaving immaturely, like getting excited while squelching mud between our toes.

There comes a time in our lives when it is no longer appropriate for us to skip down the path or sing to ourselves.

We are taught not to be so childish. Yet after years of being ‘sensible’ adults, for many of us, the idea of having children of our own arises, not only to create a family and experience the joy of unconditional love of someone completely dependent on us. For many of us, there too were dreams of craft projects, catching butterflies, or playing on the swings at the park. I know that my playful writing and singing to vegetables are just that. It is me, reawakening the goofy kid within that I had hoped would come out to play with my own children one day.

Sometimes, we deprive ourselves of childlike joys when unable to have children. Some of this deprivation occurs as so much emphasis is placed on being responsible adults, of achieving and acquiring, which doesn’t allow much room for playfulness. However, this infliction of being an adult affects even those with children. Having children provides no guarantee that you will experience more joy or that you will play on the swings and giggle with abandon.

Yet those of us who have been unable to have children may have the added dilemma of thinking, 'How could I be playful and experience joy when I am experiencing such loss and grief?’ For so long, there may have been fewer moments of laughter or seeing the lighter side of situations. You may still be experiencing grief or struggling to feel a sense of purpose and joy.

The thing is you are worthy of joy no matter your situation.

Joy can arise in the darkness, like the sunlight that makes its way to the depths of the rainforest floor. We can choose to focus on the darkness or draw our attention to the lightness. We can attempt to make space for and seize the joyful moments that arise—hold them and play with them for as long as they are there. We should stop to enjoy the sunset or notice just how delicious and satisfying that hearty meal is after a long day's hike.

All of us, with or without children, can embrace the playful child within and feel joy from moment to moment. Be it wriggling our toes in soft sand, skipping stones across a pond, splotching paint onto a canvas, dripping watermelon juice on the pavement, or singing to our vegetables as we cook.

We all deserve joy.

Tansy Boggon (IG @tansy_joyfuleating • FB @joyfuleatingwithtansy) is a nutritionist, recipe developer, and author of non-fiction, fiction, and children’s books, based in New Zealand. www.joyfuleatingnutrition.com

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MEDICAL AWAKENING

10 Tips To Ease Chronic Pain Without Medication Chronic pain isn’t an easy condition to handle, but you can take control of it.

Simple changes in your lifestyle, diet, and exercise routines can help ease your pain.

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Try these techniques to experience relief: 1. Manage stress.

7. Focus on posture.

Stress can increase chronic pain and make it more difficult to manage. Try a variety of strategies to relax and reduce stress to see which ones work best for you. Yoga and meditation are two stress-reduction strategies that can help.

Posture can help reduce the stress on your back and cut down on chronic pain. Consider the way you sit and stand. Experts recommend that you avoid slumping your shoulders and lowering your head. The spine should be straight, so circulation is better.

2. Try breathing exercises.

By simply focusing on your breathing, you can relax your muscles and reduce pain. Deep breathing exercises can also reduce blood pressure, eliminate stress, and decrease the heart rate.

3. Find fun distractions.

Instead of concentrating on the pain, try distractions that help you forget about it. Hobbies and activities such as watching your favorite movie or reading a new book can help. You may also want to try drawing or other ideas that help you fill your time and avoid thinking about the pain.

4. Increase your water intake.

Dehydration can make chronic pain worse. Proper hydration can help reduce pain and protect your joints and muscles by keeping the cartilage soft and pliable. Dehydration pulls fluid out of your tissues, which causes overall body aches and pains.

5. Avoid inflammatory food.

Fast food and processed food can increase inflammation in your body, so your chronic pain also increases. Foods with a lot of sugar and salt also contribute to inflammation and increased pain.

6. Add more anti-inflammatory food.

On the other hand, nuts, leafy greens, fatty fish, berries, and other items can help you fight inflammation and reduce pain. They have antioxidants that fight damage on the cellular level.

8. Try massage therapy.

Getting a massage can reduce chronic pain by improving circulation and blood flow. Massages help reduce back, shoulder, and neck pain. They can also help your overall health.

9. Discuss your health.

Researchers have found that talking about your health can reduce pain.

Talking about your pain can help you discover pain management techniques.

10. Find support.

Health experts recommend finding support groups that focus on chronic pain. These groups give you the chance to meet others who suffer from chronic pain. They can offer advice and tips for managing pain. They can also provide doctor and clinic reviews or recommendations. By talking to others who have chronic pain, you can learn new techniques to deal with your pain.

Even if you take medication for your pain, you can further reduce it with these techniques. Follow your doctor’s advice, reduce stress and inflammation, and find support, and you may feel the pain relief you’ve been seeking.

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NAVIGATING AGING

NOURISHING

YOUR MIND,

BODY &

SPIRIT IN MIDLIFE

BY SHERI JOHNSON

I was 43 and I was still trying to get pregnant. There was just one problem: I hadn’t had a period in five months.

I was doing all the right things: eating well, drinking herbal teas, seeing a naturopath, doing acupuncture, and exercising regularly. I had all the tests, and nothing appeared to be wrong with me. One day, my acupuncturist suggested yet another herb and I felt an invisible wall come up inside my body. I told him I’d think about it.

As I was walking in the forest later that day, it hit me. I needed to stop. Everything. I needed to let go of this need to control my body and simply allow it to do what it needed to do. I felt a shift immediately. It was a moment of relief and surrender, like letting go of the rope in a tug of war.

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My period came the next day.

That’s when I realized that a purely physical approach to caring for my body wasn’t enough.

In hindsight, here are the missteps I was making as I tried to force balance back into my body.

• Addressing only the physical.

I have yet to find a practitioner in the menopause space who talks about anything besides how to physically address the symptoms. We’re conditioned by Western medicine and culture to believe that the body is something we can fix with medicine or supplements.

And yet, I’m sure you know someone who’s “tried everything,” did all the right things, and yet still couldn’t fix her body.

Maybe it was even you.

In the six years following my epiphany in the forest, I addressed not only my body but my mind and spirit as well and that was when the magic started happening.

• Pushing away the emotions I was feeling.

Reflecting on my journey through childlessness in my 40s, I realized that I was powering through it. I put my emotions aside and focused on anything I could do to distract myself. I was so busy, and I had no time to feel.

When I finally began to allow some of the grief, disappointment, and fears about the future to come to the surface, I was able to release them. The more I let go, the better my physical body felt.

That was also when I started to feel more joy. More peace. I learned that you can’t quash negative emotions without also suppressing the positive ones.

• Not honouring my soul.

What happened in the forest that day was a straight line of communication with the divine. Call it my higher self, intuition, God, or the Universe. Regardless, it was a surrender—a release of my need to control. The more time I spent in the quiet, the more I could trust and access that line of communication with the divine. And the more I accessed it, the better I felt.

When I finally started taking a more holistic mind, body, and spirit approach to care for myself, every part of me felt better. And by the time my period stopped at 48, I felt better than I did in my 20s. I felt more joy. I became optimistic for the future that I hadn’t experienced, well, maybe ever.

Sheri Johnson (@sherijohnsoncoaching) is a nutritionist, spiritual coach, and podcast creator of the Awakening Worth, based in Canada.

Download free Holistic Hormone Roadmap at www.sherijohnson.ca TO SUBSCRIBE VISIT www.tutumjournal.com

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I FIND JOY IN EACH DAY

Life provides so many opportunities to feel cheerful. Being in high spirits throughout the day brings me feelings of contentment and calm. And when I feel joyful, I am usually in better health as well.

Experiencing joy each day has a wonderful effect on my psyche and my physical well-being. This is part of the reason I seek to cultivate happiness in my life.

From the time I rise in the morning until I retire for the night, I discover countless sources of joy. When I awake, sometimes just the shining sun makes me smile. In the evening, time spent with friends and loved ones fill my heart with delight.

I find it easy to discover joy in practically everything. Even the smallest occurrences provide me with happiness and a sense of well-being. When I hear music on the radio, I am joyful. If I sing aloud when I am driving, that makes me happy, too.

Regardless of whether I am at work or home, alone or with people, I pay attention to all the joys that life provides.

Sometimes, a simple moment of solitude brings peace to my heart.

Today, I feel blessed to have so much happiness in my life.

I intend to keep my eyes, mind, and heart open to all the joy that surrounds me each day.

Affirmation Reflections:

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1.

Do I take advantage of opportunities to find happiness throughout my day?

2.

What brought me joy today?

3.

How can I ensure that I discover more sources of joy each day of my life?

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AFFIRMATIONS

I WILL MAKE THE MOST OUT OF MY LIFE I think of my life as a precious gift. Each moment brings me fresh opportunities to fulfill my dreams and enjoy the beauty surrounding me.

Regular physical activity and good nutrition keeps my body fit and strong. Keeping myself in top shape gives me the capacity to honor my life.

Intellectual exercises sharpen my thinking.

Spiritual practices increase my wisdom and determination to make good choices.

Establishing priorities allows me to steer my life toward the results I want. I focus my efforts on what I find meaningful.

Spending time with family and friends makes me feel loved and connected. Devoting my talents to meaningful work helps me to build my self-esteem and contribute to society.

The more I pay attention to my surroundings, the more treasures I discover.

I believe my education is a lifelong process. I delight in learning.

I travel to meet others and get a renewed perspective on my life. I spend time appreciating works of art and natural wonders.

Today, I commit to being mindful of the value of my life. I feel grateful for such abundance and resolve to make every minute count.

Self-Reflection Questions: 1.

What are my top three priorities in life?

2.

Do I spend my time on meaningful activities?

3.

How do I want to be remembered?

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