As the summer winds down and we head into a new school year, it’s still hard to believe how much has changed over the last two years. It’s been a wild ride between moving to Canmore, leaving teaching, Kane’s heart surgery, and living through a pandemic! These are just some of my stories of resilience.
I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention finding my new path as a photographer? Digital storyteller? Wolfe Pack Warrior? Well, clearly that part is still a work in progress, but I am happy. Plus, some of the goals I had set for myself back in my Tell Your Story post two years ago have come to be.
But today’s post is about some of the things that have happened because we moved to Canmore. It’s about celebrating the connections that never would have happened if we hadn’t uprooted our entire lives to try something new.
Front Steps Project
The chaos of 2020 led me to meet 100 new friends through the Front Steps Project…
Stories of Resilience Exhibit
Those 100 friends became part of The Stories of Resilience exhibit in partnership with artsPlace and Canmore Museum, and the Bow Valley Immigration Partnership – BVIP. I wish we could all have had a chance to celebrate these stories in person, but it was not to be. But with all the new technology skills that we all had to learn throughout covid we were able to visit the exhibit virtually.
Or spend a little time getting to know more of the stories of participants by checking out the video below or by visiting the Bow Valley Locals website.
Sharing Stories Podcast
At the same time I was taking all of those photographs I also happened to re-connect with Helen Rose of the Gift of Being Present. Just prior to the pandemic I had met Helen through a Women’s Entrepreneur group that regularly met at one of my favourite local spots, Communitea.
Helen is a huge believer in the power of story, the strength of connection and the endurance of the human spirit. Plus, as she includes in her website, she uses ample (yet perfectly and appropriately placed) f-bombs, so obviously we were meant to record an episode of her podcast, Sharing Stories with Helen Rose. Our conversation is called “A Snapshot in Time” and it was recorded right in the middle of my Front Steps Project.
Helen’s Intro
When Kristy Wolfe’s son was born 8 weeks early, she spent 54 days in the NICU with camera in hand. Her intention was to document the journey for herself, her family, and her loved ones. When she offered to take pictures for some of the other patients, hospital regulations led her to seek other avenues to help those who wanted their medical experiences captured. The result was a foray into the world of professional photography and she has been telling stories through her enthralling photos ever since.
As an educator and public speaker based in Canmore, Alberta, Kristy’s passion for helping others tell their stories of strength, love, hope and resilience gives families confirmation that they are not alone. One of her biggest passions is helping caregivers see themselves in the story through her captivating photography. In doing so, she is creating a space for people to share their struggles, providing a means to support one another, and generating a medium for healing.
In this episode:
- It wasn’t about the photography (Intro).
- How helping others assisted in her own healing experience (4:00).
- Reframing the hospital experience (6:03).
- The journey for medical siblings (8:20).
- Opportunities for photographic collaboration (10:38).
- The Wolfe Pack Warriors (13:44).
- Honouring the grieving process and the Front Steps Project (16:05).
- Students, teachers, and parenting during COVID-times (25:32).
- What’s next for Kristy Wolfe? (33:43).
- A special project for a post-COVID world (40:20).
What’s Next?
How’s that for a silver lining from covid and chaos? Well it gets better! Helen and I, along with our friend and educational leadership superstar, Mary Michailides, have some big plans moving forward.
And I cannot wait to share them with you!
Actually this might be a good time to sign up for my newsletter.