A Wrapping Cabinet

3 Comments April 19, 2016 drworobec

I have a wrapping cabinet. And it brings me so much joy.

What’s a wrapping cabinet, you ask? Well, a wrapping cabinet is just that; a cabinet that houses gift-wrapping supplies. My wrapping cabinet has a hanging shelf for giftbags of various sizes and occasion, coloured tissue paper, ribbons and bows, and enough space for several rolls of wrapping paper to stand. It’s in our basement, in the corner of the room, with a large, open area of carpet beneath it. I have boxes of greeting cards, gift tags for every holiday, and even bacon-printed wrapping paper.

These supplies are things that I’ve accumulated over the years, and yes, I am that person that folds all the tissue paper that comes with the gift bags I receive at Christmas and birthdays, and re-uses it again, wrinkles and all. I am nothing if not ecologically thrifty. But the part I love the most about my wrapping cabinet, the part that brings me the most joy, are the thoughts I have about the person for whom the gift is for. I value my relationships above most other things, and I find giving to be a great way to outwardly express my love for the people in my life.

Now, I’m certainly not talking about spending wads of money and being extravagant and excessive. I’m talking about sending the perfect card for the perfect occasion or finding the perfect offering for the perfect person. I take great pride in gift-giving and card-writing, and often buy things months in advance, knowing they will make the eventual recipient very happy. I’ve been known to mail care packages halfway around the world, spend more on shipping than the gift itself, and send birthday cards week ahead of time. It’s the act of giving, the thoughts behind giving, and the emotion involved in giving that makes me so happy.

I love to sit in front of my wrapping cabinet with a cup of coffee and a pen, and find the words to convey my thoughts onto a 5×7 birthday card. And I’m definitely better at communicating through the written word than I am the spoken word (hence this blog), so perhaps that’s why I love it so much. I’m able to say what I really mean, and channel the strength of my emotions.

Wrapping cabinets are good for the soul. Trust me on this one.

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The World Needs More Girlfriends

2 Comments April 14, 2015 drworobec

This one is written with my female readers in mind. Not that men don’t need/value friendship as much as women, but I’m writing from a place of personal experience, and that experience comes from a female background.

The world needs more girlfriends. I was in my car this morning, running around amongst school drop-offs and library pickups and patient appointments, and this statement rang out in my brain like a bell. The world needs more girlfriends. More specifically, we all need more girlfriends. More connection. More support. More friendship. In fact, I had a different blog post all polished up and ready to go today; but this statement came so quickly and so clearly, that I felt it needed some attention. The world needs more girlfriends.

I’ve always been lucky enough to have a large circle of friends. I moved from small-town Alberta to bigger small-town Alberta when I was ten years old, and one of my most vivid memories of early childhood is the ‘going-away’ party that was held for me when we moved- it included sitting around in a circle of my closest girlfriends, crying, listening to ‘Every Rose Has its Thorn.’ Quite the visual, right? And it’s no secret that my Junior High and High School experience centred around my friend Sarah, who’s still my foundation, 25 years later. My University days brought me my other sounding board, Shannon, and our friendship has spanned the distance of miles and time changes. And CMCC, the four-year all-in-or-all-out program that uprooted my life and moved me across the country, gave me friendships that I lean on daily.

Lifelong friends.

So when I moved to Burlington in 2004, and then finished school in 2006, it was the first time in my life when I found myself not surrounded by girlfriends who knew me; the real, authentic me. I was starting my practice, living in a city that didn’t feel like home, and my closest friends were a phone call and a plane ride away. I remember lamenting to my husband that I felt lonely and isolated, and I just needed more friends….

The world needs more girlfriends. And I found some. I grew roots. I met people. I built my practice, I joined a running club, I started CrossFit, I moved to a new neighbourhood, and my circle began to expand. Now I have those go-for-coffee friends that I so longed for ten years ago. I have those come-over-in-my-sweatpants friends and those listening-ear friends, those go-for-a-walk friends and those can-you-do-me-a-favour friends.

And yes, I still have all those friends I mentioned at the start, who are still a phone call and a plane ride away. And they mean the world to me too.

xo.

This is a gentle PSA to nurture your friendships….

Be Kind, Always.

2 Comments January 20, 2015 drworobec

I have a ‘Notes’ section in my phone called ‘Blog Ideas’, and whenever an idea strikes me I try to jot it down for easy access when I’ve got time to write. The first entry under ‘Blog Ideas’ says ‘you never know what someone is going through.’

Now isn’t that the truth?

I jotted that sentence down more than two years ago and have yet to write about it….. but now’s the time. The event that brought this thought to mind initially was the tragic passing of my neighbor. A father of two teenagers, he was in his early 50s when he died. These neighbors are private people, and we had only lived in the neighborhood for a year, so we didn’t know them well enough to know that they were enduring a lengthy battle with illness. It was his teenaged son who came to share the news of his death and it came as a shock. He didn’t look sick, they didn’t act like he was sick, but he was sick. Very, very sick. So, it’s true, you never know what someone is going through.

I’ve certainly learned this through my work. My treatment rooms are often a place where people feel comfortable enough to divulge their secrets, share their troubles, discuss their burdens. In a place of confidentiality and comfort, their physical complaints are often exacerbated by the stressors that lie underneath the surface. I am happy that they share with me, I’m happy to listen, I’m happy to try and help. In fact, I wish there was more I could do. I’m a sensitive soul, and emotion rolls through me like tidal waves crashing into the shore. You may be surprised to hear that, as I usually present an even-keel disposition to the world. But the real me is sensitive, emotional, and yes, dramatic.

Author Regina Brett wrote: “If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.” I have many friends fighting many tough battles right now. If you’re reading this and think I may be referring to you, you’re right. You’re right too. And you and you and you.

So, please: be kind, always.

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