Losing sight of kindness

By Samantha Papesch

It’s been a while since I last blogged.  Almost a year, in fact.  But today, I was reminded by a friend that my words had positively impacted others previously, so I was inspired to share some musings of late.

The reasons for the blogging pause are as wide as it has been long, but simply put, I’ve been too busy for creative writing.  Working, studying, renovating, coaching, volunteering – all on top of the day-to-day management of my family.

But, last year life began to herniate under the pressure of it all, and as I began to question my choices, my body delivered the answer – by way of a back injury, on the day I was leaving for a holiday in Bali.

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Water bottles: reading into the message

By Samantha Papesch

“By 2050 it’s estimated that the weight of plastic in our oceans will exceed the weight of fish” ~ Ellen MacArthur Foundation

Last week I lost my favourite water bottle.  I was gutted.

When it happened, I was holidaying in Queensland with my family and friends on a warm and sunny afternoon.  We were at a theme park, and I was high on the excitement of the waterslides; playing in the pools with my kids, and having a really awesome time.

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A party, a skateboard, and what’s at the bottom of it

By Samantha Papesch

“Blessed are they who have the gift of friends, for it is one of God’s best gifts” ~ Thomas Hughes

I can’t quite believe it, but my daughter turned eight last week.  When she was born everyone said “time will go so quickly, don’t forget to enjoy her”.  They weren’t wrong.  It just feels like yesterday I was stroking her precious cheeks, in teary awe at the beautiful creation before me.   

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Why I’m toning down, not up

By Samantha Papesch

This isn’t a story about how I lost weight.  And, it’s not a tale lamenting the reasons I’ve let myself go.  Instead, it’s a blog about letting go of the weight of my body issues.

As I write this, I’m on guard.  My (almost) eight year old daughter keeps looking over my shoulder, curious to read my screen.

It’s her at the centre of my thoughts.

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How I made peace with Facebook

By Samantha Papesch

Last year, right before Christmas I deactivated my Facebook account.  It wasn’t unexpected.

Twelve months before that, I started simplifying many areas of my life through the philosophy of minimalism.

Part of that journey included decluttering my digital space, so I ‘unfollowed’ every single one of my Facebook friends, and systematically placed them into ‘Lists’.  Continue reading