by Grace Lore
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Team Callanish -
This “journey” has stripped me down. It has forced me to stare into the holes and wounds inside myself. It has forced me to take stock of my life, of myself, and to question what it all means — what it is all really for.
I needed something more than counselling, more than tips and tools for managing my anxiety. Yes, those things were helpful, but they were not a sufficient remedy, or proportionate to the magnitude of what cancer takes — and gives.
I needed help attending to my soul, my true self — finding her, reviving her, and learning how to live with her.
This is what Callanish has offered me. It feels as essential to getting through this as my chemo.
On retreat, I had the time to learn about creativity as part of my healing journey, and to take the time to be with myself and my body. That is a new place for me to be, but it is an essential relationship that I am developing.
I have called with an SOS when I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to make it. I was held. I felt seen and understood.
I have an anchor now — a place to return to. And as this “journey” continues and blends back into real life, that is absolutely everything.
So much love and so much gratitude,
Grace
Grace Lore is a colorectal cancer survivor, mom to Eve and Asher, and partner to Rob. Grace is also a Member of Legislative Assembly of British Columbia representing her community Victoria-Beacon Hill where she has served since 2020.