I ran into an old friend the other day. She was surprised when I reached for a non-alcoholic drink instead of a beer or cooler for my after golf beverage. I let her know that I don’t drink anymore, and had quit in March of 2020. She told me she had quit as well.
This may not seem like a big deal to those of you who haven’t grown up around a culture of drinking and partying, but for us, it’s a pretty big deal.
We both grew up in a small Northern Ontario mining town. Drinking, bars, partying, alcohol was just part of the culture. I was in my teens in the 70’s and I remember many weekends where us kids would find a bottle, or some beer and just get wasted. So many weekends were spent with a bunch of us, or just a couple of us, drinking and looking for a party or for something exciting to happen.
When I think back on those times, I’m surprised we all survived it. I was a pretty shy kid, and I still am a shy person. I think drinking was a crutch I leaned on to help me feel like I was fitting in, to help bring me out of myself and feel more comfortable in social situations. And most of the other kids were drinking too, so I didn’t really feel like I was doing anything that wrong. Anyway, the point is, alcohol was part of my life for a long time. Family get togethers all included lots of food, music and drinking. It was a big part of our family culture, actually, still is.
When I finally decided to stop drinking alcohol, it was about three weeks after my father had passed away. We had my sister and her husband over for dinner and we had wine with dinner. I drank a lot of wine as we sat there after supper, talking and reminiscing. The next morning I woke up with a terrible hangover. I was so sick, and had a pounding headache, and I thought, “What the hell am I doing? I’m 58 years old and still letting myself get so drunk that I am sick the next day? This is stupid.”
I know I was grieving, and feeling very justified in having several glasses of wine. That has been my conditioned way of coping with things for years. But I wanted to do better from now on. I wanted to be better...healthier... stronger...more clear-headed. I wanted to be someone my husband, my kids and grandchildren could be proud of. And mostly, I wanted to be better for me.
I had been using Young Living essential oils for about 8 years at that time, and sharing my love of the products with people in my circle. I used them for everything, every day and they really helped me, so it seemed more than a little bit disingenuous to be drinking as much as I was while I was promoting a healthy lifestyle with essential oils and non-toxic products.
I wasn’t living into my values, and it just felt wrong. I felt ashamed of myself. I was sad, for sure. I mean, my Dad was a very important part of my life, and I missed him. But using alcohol as a way of coping wasn’t making me feel any better. It just made me feel worse.
So, I stopped drinking. I just decided enough was enough. I figured I would just try not drinking for a week or so and see how I felt. I used my oils to help me breathe through the sadness, the anxious feelings I was experiencing, the sleeplessness. I used my oils, and I started walking everyday.
I should also mention that my Dad passed away on February 25th, 2020. On March 14, the pandemic shut down all non-essential services, so that just added an extra level of stress and worry on top of an already stressful time in our lives.
But I was determined to stick to my promise to myself. A week without alcohol turned into two weeks, then a month, then two months. My family was worried about me. I told them I was just taking a break from drinking. When we were finally allowed to get together in person again, I didn’t have any beer or wine, just water or tea. They thought something was wrong with me, that I had some kind of health issue I hadn’t told them about or something. There were discussions between my sisters wondering what was going on with me.
I assured them that I was fine, that I just didn’t want to drink anymore. I was trying to get healthy, and not use alcohol to cope with my grief. I was going to just choose healthier options, like breathing in my essential oils, walking, calling a friend to chat, getting hug from my husband. I think they may have been skeptical, but they let it go. After a while, maybe a year or so after I quit, they just stopped offering me alcohol when we got together.
Meanwhile, as time went on, I started feeling better. Not waking up foggy headed every day was a huge bonus. It’s amazing how much better I sleep now! Being clear headed and feeling healthier helped me focus on all the things I needed to do leading up to my retirement at my workplace. It made the transition smoother and easier to handle.
Today is September 16th, 2025 and it’s been 5 years and a little over 6 months since I quit drinking. I’m feeling pretty proud of myself. I’m happy I made the decision to quit. I actually wish I had done it sooner, but better late than never I guess.
I think I was lucky that I had already been using Young Living essential oils for years before deciding to quit drinking. It meant I already had some tools in my toolbox to help me navigate through that difficult time. I knew what I needed to do…I just needed to do it. And walking every day brought lots of benefits, including helping to regulate my emotions, and helping me to get stronger physically too!
Life is a journey, and this is part of mine. I’ve been sharing my love of these essential oils for years now, but leaving out this very significant part of my story. So now you know. Everyone has a story, everyone is going through their own personal struggles. For me, the decision to quit drinking opened me up to new possibilities for my life, And for that, I am eternally grateful.
Summer is always such a busy time. It feels like it just started and it’s over. I’m sure that’s true of anyone who lives in Northern Ontario. We treasure those hot sunny days, and when I was working, I am not ashamed to say, I would sometimes take a vacation day if the weather was nice, and just go to the beach. Around here, those nice days are not guaranteed and if you miss it, you missed it!
Now that I’m retired, I am really trying to cram every single bit of fun and sun into this summer. I’m out golfing a couple of times a week. I’ve been playing music with my friends and just recently performed in the local Music Festival with them. Family get togethers, trips to see our kids, and even a short camping trip. And some days, just relaxing on our back deck and doing some yard work is fun.
I honestly can’t believe that August is already here! And before you know it, the weather will turn colder and it will be autumn. I find myself almost frantic, wanting to make sure I pack as much into the last month of summer that I can. And I need to remind myself to calm down, to just take it in, and enjoy each moment as it comes. To be present, to be aware of all the beauty that surrounds us in this part of the country, and just take a moment to breathe.
I think that’s why I love these quiet mornings so much. I love the time, early in the morning, before anyone else is awake, when I can just sit and drink my coffee in peace and quiet, watch the sun come up and do a bit of writing. I put on my oils, and start my diffuser. It grounds me, it helps keep me centred, and start my day in a good way.
It’s important, when we’re running around trying to pack in all the fun of summer, that we take a few minutes each day to just sit quietly and reflect, whether that’s early in the morning, or at the end of the day, or maybe even sometime during the day, maybe while you’re sitting on a sandy beach.
Enjoy the rest of the summer everyone, and don’t forget to take a few minutes each day to breathe in some essential oils and count your blessings.
Summer Diffuser Blends
Forget-Me-Not - 2 drops each of Rosemary, Tangerine, and Eucalyptus Radiata
Tranquil Forest - 2 drops each of Northern Lights Black Spruce and Frankincense
Citrus Sunshine - 2 drops each of Orange, Lemon and Lime
Great Summer Roll-Ons (you’ll need a roll-on bottle and some organic grape seed oil or V-6 vegetable complex oil)
Patchouli & Tangerine (5 drops of each and fill with grape seed or V-6 oil)
Cedarwood and Orange (5 drops of each and fill with grape seed or V-6 oil)
Ylang Ylang, Lavender and Tangerine (5 drops each and fill with grape seed or V-6 oil)
Did you ever notice how summer just flies by? You have all these plans to do all these things, and you run like crazy trying to do them all, and then, before you know it, the fall winds and rain begins, and you realize, another summer has come and gone. And maybe you did some cool things, and maybe you didn’t.
Maybe it’s because I’m older now, but I find time just moves so quickly. When I was a kid, summers seemed to be so long. Lots of time for exploring in the bush behind our house, and swimming by the lake with my brothers and sisters. There were lots of lazy days when we would complain of being bored, which was always a mistake, because then my Mom would find a chore for us to do so we wouldn’t complain of being bored anymore.
I grew up in the time when we would leave the house in the morning and not come home until dinner time, unless we were hungry, of course. So we had to use our imaginations to keep ourselves entertained. There were lots of kids on our street back then, so we had plenty of friends to play with, and we were always able to come up with some plan or other.
Now, even though my days seem quieter, and not so busy and hectic, time still seems to fly by. Like, just the other day it was Summer Solstice, and now we’re almost half way through July! How did that happen? I guess time moves by, whether you’re ready for it or not.
So get out there and enjoy your summer while it’s here! Say Yes to invitations to go hang out by the campfire, or go swimming with your kids, or go hiking with a friend.
And if you don’t have people inviting you to do those things, then you can do the inviting! Or you and just go ahead and do things on your own.
And sometimes, alone time in the summer is really nice too, Some of my favourite times have been sitting on my backyard deck with a cup of tea and a book, just enjoying the peace and listening to the sounds of summer. It’s definitely okay to just be still for awhile, and not feel like you need to be doing something “productive” every second of every day! Resting and rejuvenating is actually necessary and recommended to increase productivity and maintain good mental health.
I’m talking to myself here too. It’s pouring rain outside today, so I’m staying home, and getting some housework and puttering done. I know I definitely still feel the need to feel like I’m being “productive” all the time. So I’m trying to give myself a break, and just enjoy the peace, listen to the rain and sip a cup of tea.
When you find yourself feeling scattered, and restless, like you don’t know what to do with yourself, but feel like you need to be keeping busy, just take a couple of minutes, grab your bottle of Peace & Calming essential oil blend, put a drop or two onto the palm of your hand, rub your hands together and just breathe! Again, talking to myself here too!
Whatever your plans are for the summer, or even if you don’t really have any plans, just take the time to enjoy whatever the day brings to you, whether it’s going for a walk along the beach, or just enjoying a cup of tea and reading a good book. There’s joy to be found in those little moments too.
Enjoy the rest of the summer everyone!
The long, cold, winter seemed to last forever! It seemed like it would never leave. I actually laughed when I thought about the official first day of Spring being March 20th! There was still about 3 feel of snow in our yard! The ice was still pretty thick on the lake. People were getting fed up! And then, just when you thought winter was over, it snowed again!!
Now it’s the beginning of May, and I’m fairly optimistic that winter is finally over here in Northern Ontario. I’ve been walking the highway near my home, and the creek is now completely open, and the lake is almost there too! Just a couple of thin floating ice patches left.
Before you know it, we’ll be hearing the float planes taking off in the morning; a sure sign that summer is here!
As much as people here like to complain about the weather, I actually like the fact that we have four distinct seasons here. Sure, winter sometimes lasts a bit longer than we’d like, but even winter can be beautiful. Especially if you get outside and enjoy it!
Now that Spring looks like it’s finally here, I love watching the subtle changes everyday, seeing the leaves appear on the trees, and everything looking so lush and alive! I love seeing the water rushing down the rivers and waterfalls, and sometimes catching a glimpse of wildlife wandering around.
Every season brings its own beauty, and I look forward to every change and what the new season will bring. With Spring, everything is waking up after a long rest, and I feel like people do that too. More people are getting out and about after a winter of hibernation. It’s so nice to see people out walking, enjoying the nicer weather, stopping to chat with their neighbours, sitting outside on their decks.
I’m feeling more energized too! I’ve been a bit lazy lately about getting out for my walks, but now that Spring is in the air, I’ve been feeling more motivated to get outside and get some exercise!
This is actually the perfect time to be outside; you don’t have to walk through slush and snow, the weather warmer, and so far, no bugs! And I live in Northern Ontario, so you know they’ll be out soon! Blackfly season is definitely a thing! Hahaha!
I hope you embrace the changing seasons too, and make the most of every day to take in the beauty that surrounds you.
Here are a few suggestions for keeping your spirits up during the transition to nicer weather:
Mineral Sunscreen - you may not think you need it but you do! Those UV rays are sneaky!
Spring Diffuser Blend - Lemon, Lavender and Eucalyptus Radiata (a couple of drops of each)
It will freshen up your home, and uplift your spirits!
Outdoor Blend - you’re going to need this soon. Blackfly season is coming!
Thieves essential oil blend (and all the Thieves products) Sometimes changes in the seasons lead to more people catching colds and whatnot, so get that Thieves going in your diffuser, or put it on the bottoms of your feet before you go out.
I first started using essential oils back in 2012. At that time, I was a busy, working Mom with one of our kids in university, our oldest still living at home and our youngest was 15 and still in high school. He played hockey in our small community in Northern Ontario, and that means that if you want to play in a league, you have to do a lot of travelling.
It was on one of these hockey road trips that I smelled my first essential oil. We were playing in New Liskeard, which is a 7 hour drive from our hometown. In Northern Ontario, we measure distance by how many hours it takes to get there, not necessarily by how many kms it is.
Anyway, we were staying with a friend of mine who had offered to put us up for the weekend. I was grateful for the offer, since hockey travel is expensive, not matter how much you try cut corners.
My friend’s home was warm, cozy, and so welcoming, but what I noticed immediately was this wonderful aroma as we first entered. It was the smell of Thieves in the diffuser she had in her entryway that I was experiencing. And it was so lovely! I was an instant fan!
Following that visit, I ordered my first Premium Starter Bundle which came with a diffuser and 11 5ml bottles of essential oil as well as a couple of sachets of NingXia Red and a roller cap. I was really excited when it arrived, but other than diffusing the oils, I really didn’t know how to use them. I hadn’t even heard of essential oils until I visited my friend, so I was definitely really new to them, and unaware of their potential to support my health & well-being.
So, even though I had no idea what I was doing, I just started off by putting a couple of drops onto the bottom on my feet every morning. And diffusing them in my home every day.
The whole process of applying the oils took about two minutes every day. That’s it! Just a couple of minutes, and keep in mind, I had no idea what I was doing. I was just putting them on!
But you know what I was doing, that I didn’t even realize at the time? I was taking time for me. I was doing something to support my health, my spirit, my mind, just by prioritizing myself for two minutes every morning. I was training my brain to believe that I was worth taking care of too.
As a busy Mom, wife, and the director of a women’s shelter, I was so used to putting everyone else’s needs before my own. Sometimes, you can forget yourself in the process. You get so busy just doing, just living, just running, that you can forget how important it is to take care of yourself too.
Starting off with this one, seemingly little habit, of applying essential oils onto the bottoms of my feet, I began the process of creating healthy changes in my life. I didn’t realize it at the time, and it didn’t all happen overnight, but it did happen. And it all started with this one small step.
Are you ready to make a shift, to take a small step? It really can lead to big changes!
