Lucky.
Woke up this morning exhausted. Lucky me.
The last few weeks have been a whirlwind.
I had five TV appearances in eight days.
I celebrated the accomplishments of two of my favourite people.
I drove an electric vehicle from Toronto to Ottawa (and back).
I watched my firstborn receive his first degree.
I hosted a daylong backyard celebration.
Each of these was a first for me. It might surprise you to know that I don’t often walk into new experiences with confidence. Quite the opposite. My nerves are so fraught ahead of time that I over-plan and under rest. I imagine disasters before they happen and am on high alert in an effort to prevent them. (Spoiler: My superhero abilities are rarely actually needed.) Still, it means that even when things go right, I’m exhausted.
But despite the bone-tired weariness I feel today, the joy is palpable too. Those TV appearances (including this one on The Social) reconnected me with hosts I know and appreciate, and allowed me to share about a topic I love deeply.
When I cheered for ROYSON JAMES’ induction into the Order of Ontario, it was a chance to celebrate my mentor. If not for James, I’d never have had the chance to work at the Toronto Star all the way back in 1995. A move that has been pivotal to the rest of my career. The honour is well-earned and much deserved.
And only days later, I got to cheer for my pal AMY ROSEN. Her first novel, Off Menu is available now. A longtime travel and food writer renowned for her way with words, the novel is a first for her, and already winning high praise. Raising a glass to her at its launch was a privilege.
In between, I got to drive this sexy beast. I’ve been considering a hybrid vehicle for years, but the Cadillac LYRIQ I borrowed for a trip to Ottawa has convinced me I can go fully electric with my next vehicle. I’ll be sharing more on that experience on Instagram in the weeks to come. But suffice it to say that the roomy, smooth ride meant my parents could comfortably travel with us to the nation’s capital. And the powerful drive-ability convinced my not-so-sure-about-electric husband, Ish, that we could be an EV family.
My son, ETHAN DAVIS was the reason for that Ottawa trip. And the moment I saw Ethan in his gown at convocation, my heart caught in my throat. I started crying the moment the first speaker took to the stage. And then I was cheering so loudly as he crossed the stage that I forgot to take a proper photo of it. Meanwhile, he crossed with confidence, taking time to wave at us as he went. There are a few moments in life that, in the moment they’re happening you know you’ll remember them forever. This one, for me, is one of those moments. So very proud of that kid who has persevered consistently, in the face of incredible odds.
And then this weekend, on a day that the weather forecasters said there’d definitely be rain, Ish and I hosted dozens of people in our sun-drenched backyard. They came to celebrate Ethan. And though it was really busy, I took a moment at the party’s mid-way point to look out and take in ALL THE PEOPLE who took time out of their weekend to be with us. It takes a village to raise happy, healthy kids and we have a phenomenal one.
Each of these moments had things that didn’t go exactly as I’d like. Bumps, hiccups, unexpected delays. There were invitations we forgot to send. There were overestimates (on how long it’d take us to eat breakfast before the ceremony) and underestimates (seems like we could’ve done with one more round of mains at the BBQ). But in the end, I look back and see the joy, all the same.
The lesson: Trust the process, celebrate the small wins (and the big ones),Give things the time they need to blossom, rest when you can and always plan for late-night snackers.
People often think it’s all the travelling I do that makes me lucky. It’s really not. The travel delivers, for sure, but it’s the lens it affords me to realize the opportunities for joy at home where I really win. And that’s the kind of luck we can all strive for.
Things I’m reading/watching/loving at the moment
I finished Forever, and immediately went to Spotify to download all the playlists. No regrets.
There was no real time for TV over the last few weeks, and so instead I found myself digging into podcasts again. Lately, I’ve enjoyed Good Hang with Amy Poehler and anything featuring Kathryn Hahn.
It’s porch season! Every summer mine becomes my outdoor office and those first days that I can sit outside and get a sunshine boost are the best. I killed all of my plants from last year, so I’ll need to find some new accoutrements to make it cozy. Have un-killable favourites? Send them my way.
Thanks for reading. Travel well.
Heather