What could you do more of?

I’ve spent over half my life volunteering & I think it’s critical not only for our community but also for the people we’re trying to help.

When you volunteer you make a difference in someone’s life & it can either be a moment or long term. You make a difference by helping people when they’re in a crisis or when life takes a more serious turn.

I answered a local hotline for a long time & a majority of the calls I’d receive were people who were on the brink or the precipice of life. Often crying or suicidal I had to convince them that they needed to call for help. The hardest calls were people that hadn’t filled their medication or weren’t able to make sure they were out of it.

Both scenarios are not good. Most of the time I had to talk people off the ledge & urge them to go to the hospital or emergency room. This may sound easy but believe me it’s not. When a person has lost hope you need to find out if they have a plan.

If they have a plan the urgency to get help is graver & time may be of the essence.

Enough about tough phone calls, I think it’s made me a better person & a stronger person. How do you give back to your community?

What brands do you associate with?

In my 20-30’s I was into fast fashion but not anymore. I think it’s wasteful to buy products with a short shelf life. You spend more money because the clothes are made cheaply & you pay more because you have to constantly replace the item you bought.

I used to adore this sustainable company called Toad&co but feel that they have jumped the shark. Their pants are great but I used to think their tops were too but that’s no longer the case. If I’m on the state side anytime soon I’d buy pants from them but not anything else.

I’ve rediscovered a brand here in Scandinavia called Claire, it’s a Danish company but they have a heart of gold & really sustainable business practices. Their clothes are made to last & they have excellent staff at their stores.

The other brand I like but can be too much at times is Gudrun Sjøden. It’s a Swedish company that’s very eco but her patterns can be a bit much. I recently bought a cardigan from them but the website nearly crashed four times when I was on it.

As for buying new tops I need to but I’m not in a rush. What brands do you like & why?

What things give you energy?

Kind people give me energy or people who pay it forward unexpectedly. I find toxic people draining & no fun to be around. People that see me for me & not rumors that they think they know.

I like kind people because a convo with them is never boring. Also, friends that give hugs when you haven’t seen them for a long time.

People that are my friends that haven’t changed but still want to be part of my life.

Toxic, passive aggro people that lie, cheat & steal. I can do without. Or supposed adults that would rather listen to rumors then get to know me. I feel sorry for them because my husband puts on a pretty good Thanksgiving table every year. That they’ll never get to experience because they’re consumed by bullshit.

Nope. Those kind of people aren’t & won’t be part of my life because they lack kindness & integrity. What are your boundaries?