Alison Wem

Pride: is it good or bad?

Pride is the feeling you get of pleasure or satisfaction when you or someone you love has achieved something. It is perhaps that sense of pride when your child has had the courage to stand-up in front of the school and read a poem. You know how challenging that is to your child but they succeeded in doing it. I can see you clapping your hands with a big smile on your face.

With a positive connotation, pride is a sense of contentment or happiness towards your own life choices and actions or those of someone you are close to you. read more

By Alison Wem, ago

Life is for living and enjoying: find your joy

All of us have someone or something that challenges us in our life. We came into a life to learn and these challenges are meant to stretch us and help us to learn. Life is full of ups and downs. But it is always important to remember life is a gift for living and enjoying.

Sometimes the stetch for a learning can feel excessive to the point where you can feel quite down. We have all been there, such as parental disapproval, a lover walking away, a job lost or a sick child. But the key question is;

How do you pick yourself up and get back into the flow of life and experiencing joy? read more

By Alison Wem, ago

ABC of love: l is for love

Love comes in many shapes and forms

Whenever anyone speaks of love they are often referring to romantic love between two people. I believe that love is infinite and can come in many forms. If romantic love was the only form of love, it would be quite exclusive and in limited quantities. It would be a hard world with only this type of love available to give and receive.

Fortunately for us love comes in many forms – parental, family, friends, pets, yourself. All of the important people in your life are available for you to love. In my view love is infinite and the more of it in your life, the richer it will be. Some people believe that you cannot possibly love a step or adopted child as much as a biological child. I disagree with this view. I think the choice is yours to decide how much you open your heart to love a person. read more

By Alison Wem, ago

Grieving over the loss of a loved one?

All of us experience grief at some point in our lives. When we experience it for the first time, it can come as quite a shock. It is often not talked about so it is hard to know how to deal with it.

When someone you love dies it can leave a big hole in your life. It can feel like life is no longer worth living. If there has been an illness and anticipation of death, you may have had the opportunity to say the important things you wanted to say such as how much you love each other or maybe forgiveness for a perceived wrong. read more

By Alison Wem, ago

Rumi’s Reflections: Alison Wem’s Journal – Day 14

It’s your road and your road alone.

Others may walk it with you, but no

one can walk it for you.

Jalal al-Din Rumi

My life is my own – who I choose to be friends with, to love and how I want to just ‘be’ in this life of mine.

Of course there have been and will continue to be bumps on my road. But it is my choice how I react to and handle those bumps.

Some bumps I find harder than others, especially when I loose someone. But I am grateful for the time I have had with them and the chance to give and receive their love. read more

By Alison Wem, ago

Family: love them or hate them?

We all have a family. I believe a better name for family is ‘loved ones’ which also includes friends, colleagues, neighbours, pets and more. Your family teaches you throughout your life to give and to receive love.

Love is such a powerful emotion – love for a child, a parent, a friend.  Enjoying that love is wonderful, loss of that love can be truly painful.

Love heals, makes you laugh and generally makes life worth living.

Here are my views on love:

Loving is for all, not just your partner, family and friends. It should also include yourself! Often, the most unlovable people are those that gain the most value from your love, be it a smile, a kind word or an offer of help. read more

By Alison Wem, ago