Resilient and Resourced Danette Adams

Have you ever heard a story that you can’t forget? For me, it was about 3 years at a local gym when I first heard Bill tell his story. And I have remembered it ever since. Bill has a complex medical history that has meant over a hundred hospital visits starting at the age of 17 months. Can you imagine being enrolled into your kindergarten class and then, along with your dad, training your soon-to-be teachers, ways to support your medical needs? Bill has faced living with a compromised immune system which has led him to develop characteristics like adaptability, grounded positivity and the ability to set boundaries with energy allocation.

When his sister was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, David struggled to face the difficult emotions of losing the one person in his life who had known him the longest. After many end-of-life conversations with his sister, David committed to engage in yearly endurance activities in her memory. Those activities have now included over 50 triathlons, more than 50 runs longer than marathon distance, several 24-hour runs and an 85-mile run in Mexico during the summer. It also included a solo, six-week, 5,000-mile cross-country bike ride from California to Florida to New York. The cycling adventure was a chance for him to visit the 15 people he had interviewed for his most recent book, Cycle of Lives. The book chronicles a unique cross-section of humans who have been changed by cancer either as patients, survivors, loved ones, or caregivers. Instead of being heavy and grim, the book tackles the trauma head on while still shining light on the hope and meaning of the challenges we face.

Have you ever run into someone you hadn’t seen for over a decade? On this episode of the Resilient and Resourced Podcast, that’s exactly what happens. Noramy was a student at a school where I was a Guidance Counsellor for 15 years. During our catch-up conversation, Noramy talks about the winding and completely unexpected path she has taken since her high school graduation and does it with incredible self-awareness and courage.

Erica remembers resenting how often she was told that she was resilient, especially when what she really wanted was a little help. I think we can all relate to that through these many pandemic months when the word “resilient” is tired and losing its shine. As a fellow writer and lover of words, I love how Erica sees writing as an everyday resource for her and others. Her view of stories and their power to connect us to ourselves and each other is a fresh take that I’ve been thinking about ever since our conversation. With the help of others and a growing faith in herself, Erica has shifted from a “pushing through” mindset to trusting herself.

In the last five or six years, Carly’s life has undergone a huge transformation. From commuting for several hours a day to work in a cubicle to now running a farm and forest school with her children. Upon reflection of how she arrived here, she notes how her view of resilience has changed from the idea of just “pushing through” to “letting go”. Join in on this grounded, creative and fascinating conversation about how amazing life can be when it doesn’t always turn out the way you had planned.

Monika’s courage and calm acceptance when facing life’s challenges is refreshing! She knows that we aren’t meant to travel the journey of life alone so she also enlists the support of others when she needs it. And, in fact, she cites family, friends and her colleagues as having been valuable resources for hope when she’s faced loss, overwhelm and illness. During a particularly dark time, Monika set out an intention to bring joy into the lives of others and continues to keep this promise even during these uncertain pandemic times.