Be The Heroine in Your Own Life

With the passing of Nora Ephron, one of the greats left us this week.  Of course, as a woman in the film industry, I am mourning the loss of one of trailblazers, one of the few women who helmed studio pictures, who successfully navigated the world of Hollywood with a capital "H"; but more than that, I mourn the loss of a great storyteller.  Ms. Ephron could capture people and write the poetry of their souls.  Furthermore, her characters were quirky, unreasonable, and a little insane.  Just like the rest of us.


The worlds she created for us have been stamped upon our pop culture lexicon.  It only takes someone to quote "I'll have what she's having" or paint the image of two strangers meeting atop the Empire State building for us to know what the reference is (and if you don't, go brush up on your rom-com classics, kids).  And that is a remarkable accomplishment, right up there with "Feel the force" and "We're gonna need a bigger boat". 


But as I've been reading the articles on her life and her legacy (with multitudes still to appear in the coming days, I'm sure), I've been struck by her thoughts on the rest of the world and how many of them so firmly resonate with me.  She was someone who took control of her life and lived it.  And as someone who chose to live as a creative person, that is incredibly rare.  How many people give up?  How many times did Ms. Ephron almost throw in the towel?  I'm sure it's too numerous to count.  But she didn't and that is more amazing than memorable lines and scenes.


So rest in peace, Ms. Ephron, safe home and thank you for the inspiration.


“Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim.” - Nora Ephron


Happy creating

Something Small

It's been a rough week in our household.  Truth be told, it's been a bit hellish on the old Tonya front.  I once read an elegant phrase (thank you, Diana Gabaldon--and forgive me for paraphrasing...) about when you share your soul, you always have a small secret place that is yours alone-- that no matter what happens, that little haven stands to mark what sums up to be you.  You can trust it to shelter your inner most being, to store the things that are important.  I've found that my centre holds not only my values and the images I hold of myself, but also the things that I cherish, that bring me joy. So in order to get things back to normal, I reached down and remembered what it is like to enjoy some simple pleasures.  And, because I know there are those out there having a time that would put Buffy on graduation day to shame, here's my list of little things that can make you appreciate the loveliness of life:


Reading under a tree;
Feeling the breeze from an open window;
A long hug from a loved one;
Cuddles with your pet;
Discovering new places close to home


Happy creating and appreciating



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