tracyschruderblogspot

The Writer in Me

  • Whispers of Wisdom: My Connection with the Barred Owl and the Crow

    By Tracy Schruder

    “Embracing the Wisdom of the Barred Owl and the Crow: Spirit Animals Guiding My Path

    In the realm of spirit animals, the Barred Owl and the Crow hold a special place in my heart.

    These majestic creatures embody the qualities of wisdom, intuition, and transformation, guiding me on my journey.

    The Barred Owl, with its piercing gaze, represents the power of inner wisdom and the ability to navigate the unknown. Its silent strength and stealth inspire me to listen to my inner voice and trust my instincts.

    The Crow, with its sleek black plumage and sharp intelligence, embodies the magic of transformation and creativity. Its presence encourages me to speak my truth and trust in the mysteries of the universe.

    I feel a deep connection to these animals, often conversing with them in quiet moments of reflection.

    Their wisdom and guidance have become an integral part of my journey, inspiring me to listen to my inner voice and trust in the path ahead.”

  • Just Do It and Get Fit

    By Tracy Schruder

    “All movements matter. Qi-Gong, hand Mudras, tai-chi – any form of energy taxation and muscle tension-producing movements will transform your body and overall wellbeing.

    Do any particular movement for more than ten minutes steady, and you’ll start to sweat. Yes, this can happen with simple moves like shifting up and down on your toes or neck and arm stretching.

    There’s always time for movement, even if it’s just one movement at a time. In my opinion, to get the most out of life, you gotta make space to enjoy the moment. Not all exercises fit anywhere, which is why Qi-Gong and Hand Mudras top my list. Along with breathwork, these exercises can be done at work, in the car, in a lineup, at church – virtually anywhere.

    It’s a collective practice. Two to ten minutes of simple movements in your day add up at the end of the day. You’ll surprise yourself with physical and emotional results. With just six to ten movements, you tally up to 60 minutes of breathing and exercise. It’s how I fit in moves when I can’t do a full workout in the morning.

    Repetition equals retention. You’ll build a habit of using these exercises and breaths, and it’ll become natural. Another benefit is that it trains your mind to focus and be present, shutting off the mimic loop voice and breaking patterns of unconscious thinking.

    We can’t think and focus on our breath at the same time, but we can move while focusing on our breath. Win-win!

    This method works for me, and it’s simple to adapt to. I get so much benefit from it that I had to share it in my blog.”

  • Quiet Quibble

    What do you complain about the most?

    By Tracy Schruder

    “I rarely complain about anything, not in an audible manner, anyway. I do, however, experience a quiet quibble that echoes through the hollow halls of my malformed, fragile ego.

    For the most part, I can overcome the dark, drab whining and fit-fighting that goes on within the walls of the rooms that house various levels and forms of my ego-self.

    However, every now and then, something just gets my goat. Once that grumpy bastard arises, it’s an all-out bitch feast. Typically about politics or something I perceive as wrong or unjust – an abuse of power, the lack of accountability, or anything I see on the news usually lights the fuse.

    I don’t waste other people’s time with complaining if I can avoid it.

    It mostly stems from domestication. I was domesticated into a society that has a victim mentality.

    I’m breaking free with each step by not vocalizing my grievances, but there’s still work to do with my internal dialogue.”

  • Baseball, Bay-Bee!

    What are your favorite sports to watch and play?

    By Tracy Schruder

    My favourite sport to watch and play is baseball! It’s stitched into my DNA. I imagine there was a baseball game playing on the television when my mom went into labour, 😂.

    Mom had three brothers, and they watched and played baseball.

    We had an awesome baseball diamond in our village, and games were played on weeknights and weekends.

    We even hosted tournaments, so there was always a game to watch.

    I loved the camaraderie – nothing quite matches the intensity of a baseball tournament. When the community came together, we left all grievances at the gate. Solid friendships were built, and alliances formed.

    I used to really enjoy it when a game went into overtime.

    The lights would come on, sweaters and jackets would be pulled out, and sleepy kids would curl up in their parents’ laps.

    The playground was a safe space; kids played until they were red-cheeked, then snuggled up with mom or dad in the bleachers as the sun set.

    Back then, every factory, school, pub, and store had its own baseball team.

    My grandparents’ house was always filled with the sound of baseball on TV or radio.

    My grandmother loved the Montreal Expos, and grandpa loved them too, if I remember right. I just loved the game.

    Family reunions taught me how to organize a casual game, and there was always a diamond at the

    park – coincidentally 😂.

    Our local baseball park-Lower Reach park- Smiths Falls

    Now, baseball adds flow to my marriage. My husband and I enjoy watching games together, a comfortable companionship.

    We’re both huge Toronto Blue Jays fans and never miss a game. It’s natural, like home, and it pulls us in even tighter 😊.

  • Cool Crisp Canada: My Home in a Poem

    By Tracy Schruder

    I remember walking in the snow,
    I remember it was forty below,
    I remember the chill was so frightening,
    I remember the night was uninviting.

    I remember water deeply freezing,
    I remember skating on the Rideau,
    I remember ears stinging, brutal,
    I remember icicles on my eyelids.

    I remember lips so cold and dry,
    Yes, I remember softly fluffing hills of snow,
    I remember grabbing my sled to go,
    I remember racing down the hills,
    I remember boots filled with snow.

    I remember a hot, burning wood stove,
    I remember soft marshmallows melting in cocoa,
    I remember the sun slowly setting,
    I remember winter days as such a blessing.

    I remember soft drifts, leading to napping.

  • Rubber & Glue: The Unseen Truth

    By Tracy Schruder

    “I’m rubber and you’re glue, everything you say bounces off of me and sticks to you!” – a playful childhood taunt that holds a deeper truth. It’s my understanding that this life is all about reflection, projection, and the manifestation of belief into reality. What we perceive in others often mirrors our own inner world.

    A great sense of relief would often wash over me, as a kid, when I used to throw back this taunt in retaliation. I had not realized the deep significance of it all, back then but I do now. It’s a powerful statement, drenched in truth.

    It keeps your energy clean and you avoid wearing the hats that others put atop of your head. You disconnect from any consequences of believing in the rhetoric.

    In actuality, you create an impenetrable field of energy that protects you from other people’s judgments, accusations and projections.

    I like this taunt. It’s my high energy go to when dealing with foreign or dark energy sources.

  • Don’t Double Talk Me, I Won’t Listen

    By Tracy Schruder

    “I’ve had my fair share of dealing with companies who try to manipulate contracts or drag out projects. For me, personal face-to-face communication is key – if I can’t talk to you on FaceTime or in person, I will be weary of the authenticity of our contact. I at least want to see your profile and get a vibe about who you are. I want to know who I’m working with, your credentials, and your history.

    I’m not a fan of email and voice calls alone; I prefer to connect with you personally. I prefer to talk to a professional who can speak English fluently. You should know that I’m super in tune with tones and delays in voice calls, and I can spot when someone’s double talking me. When you talk too quickly and your accent gets harder to understand, I miss what you’re saying. And when work is done, only to be asked to redo it for a different form or document, it gives me the gitters. Changes are made for no good reason, just to keep me busy communicating that you want things just as you requested in the beginning of the project.

    Ive had no choice but to opt for strictly email communication with a current company I’m working with. I need clarity and a record of our conversations. Typed words don’t have an accent, and it’s concise and clear. I can determine whether or not I’ll continue to do business with this company upon the completion of this project, in the future. Show me who you are, and you’ll earn my trust and loyalty. I have only one cold, stone, statement – Don’t fuck with me or my investment. If you do, you’ll be dealing with the consequences. Furthermore, you’ll lose a great client with a huge amount of material that we could all make money on for many years to come. Let’s keep it real.”

  • Security and Generosity

    What would you do if you won the lottery?

    By Tracy Schruder

    If I won a multimillion dollar lottery, I would share it. I would take care of my immediate family first. Next, would make sure my extended family is comfortable, in homes they can maintain realistically. I would shell out at least 1/4 of my winnings to support getting homeless people off of the streets and donate to pet shelters. After all that is done and everyone is secure, I would contact the local shelters and social services to choose one or two families that could use a leg up and anonymously, provide them with enough help that it would improve their situation. This is what I would like to do if I won a multi million dollar lottery win.

  • Reading List

    What books do you want to read?

    By Tracy Schruder

    The books that I want to read are

  • The Tradition Loop

    Write about a few of your favorite family traditions.

    By Tracy Schruder

    “In 2020, my husband and I went through a wave of transformation. We became clear and honest in our communication with each other. We sat down and discussed what we truly wanted from life and what was keeping us from achieving those goals.

    We examined the holiday traditions that we celebrated every year and evaluated what, if anything, we got out of them. We asked ourselves: Was it adding to our joy? Did it foster connection? Was there anything to gain?

    We realized that the giving had become empty over the years. We’d spent many Christmases and Easters as children, enjoying them like silly little kids do. However, during our 25 years together, we’d had only a handful of times where we gave gifts from our hearts and witnessed the recipient receiving and enjoying them. The holiday thing had morphed into a cycle of rejection and disappointment.

    Relationships with family were tense, and most holidays we didn’t get to see or be part of the lives of the people we were showering the gifts on. There were instances where family members would send one adult to our house to drop off and pick up gifts, always in a rush, never bringing the children to visit. His side would collect gifts with no return, no phone call, no gratitude – just complaints about the gifts. We became weary of giving only to be rejected.

    On my side, visits to my family for Christmas had ended early in our relationship due to the tense atmosphere and aggression. I felt guilty for not being there for the younger generation and my parents, but I couldn’t subject myself to being pushed around, bullied, or threatened just to make others happy. I quit attending family holiday gatherings in 2010.

    We decided that this holiday loop didn’t add anything to our lives and was more toxic than joyful.

    We’re now living our lives without celebrating with family, and sometimes skipping holidays altogether. It’s working fantastic, honestly. We don’t know what’s to come, there’s no plan and no pressure.

    I still honour and respect others’ holiday traditions, but for us, every day is a celebration of life, and no loop is required to enjoy that.”