Take a Minute- K'Naan

I have been thinking about writing a blog update now for the last 3 weeks but with what is going on in my life I don't really know how to write it.

Just over 3 weeks ago now my Dad was admitted to hospital with a brain tumor the size of an orange. He had been showing signs of a persistent cold and almost something like depression for a few weeks. Then his short term memory started to fade and my mom took him into the hospital.

Phil (my boyfriend) and I flew back the next morning and I have been back in Pakenham since. Luckily my younger brother and sister were at home at the time and my older sister was able to fly back from Ireland shortly after.

This is one event that I never anticipated having to deal with this year... or ever. I have taken one big step back from skiing and really come to appreciate the things that matter in my life. I love to ski, but I love my family so much more. It has taken me these full 3 weeks to decide whether or not I will continue skiing this year, or decide to be at home in Pakenham while my dad battles through radiation and chemo and beating this cancer.

I turns out that I am hoping to do both. I fly back out West to Canmore on Tuesday to try and hop back into training, a glacier camp, and my life out West, but I will be back and forth between Pakenham and Canmore throughout the next few months and year.

I want to thank everyone for the overwhelming support that they have offered me and my entire family throughout these last three weeks. This experience has opened my eyes up to a whole new level of generosity and kindness and I know that it has made me a better person.

"And any man who knows a thing knows he knows not a damn, damn thing at all. And every time I felt the hurt and I felt the givin' getting me up off the wall."

My little sister played the K'naan song that I have used in my title one night as we were driving back from the hospital and it has been in my head ever since.