Fall and Winter seem to be planning time for PLAN families and staff. It’s a busy time with social activities, network meetings and big conversations. Families can be so creative with coming together, often transforming formal conversations about future planning into fun events like pottery making, games night, nature walks, pizza parties and jewellery creation. Doing something creative while chatting about planning can lead to creative ideas about how to identify and reach for goals.
There has been lots of engagement with the senses this Fall as people shared how the smells, sights and sounds of the season affect their worlds. These seasonal shifts make for a great time to think about the changes that are happening in everyone’s lives, it’s an opportunity to grow and learn how best to listen and make plans while recognizing that as the seasons move, so do we.
And speaking of moving… there are a lot of conversations and actions taking place around housing these days for PLAN families. With some astute and swift advocacy from network members, Jule, Meaghen and other staff, there have been some successful moves to new homes for some parents and Lifetime members. These actions can take place because families have been having tough conversations and asking big questions along the way so when the moment to move comes, they’ve been ready.
Everyone moves at their own pace but it’s important to recognize that every small step counts in leading up to the major shifts in our lives. When you go for that walk around Sasamat Lake with one friend, when you meet for that weekly coffee date, when you reach out to a friend for tech support, when best laid plans go awry but you reschedule for next week, when you make a phone call to talk about the weather, each of these are small steps of connection and openness that lead to the bigger questions that lead to the tough conversations that lead to feeling more prepared for the huge moments that always come.
Even if a small step feels like a discouragement, a disappointment, it is an opportunity to listen to what’s important and to reach out to someone who cares and wants to listen. Every step matters. When we layer in the intention of dreaming about the future to these short walks together, these weekly phone calls, monthly games and craft nights you may begin to feel that you are living that good life that leads to good conversations, good choices and secure decisions you can feel confident about.
Here’s to every small step in the orange and red colours of the season’s changing leaves!