Standing on my Soap Box

Hot Minute

  • Sheila Rempel, Author
  • Writer, Southeastern Manitoba

Welcome to the return of Standing on my Soapbox. I realize it has been a “hot minute” since I’ve sent anything in for you, but so much has happened.

The past two years have been a roller coaster. It all started when my parents passed in 2020. I lost them both within 5 weeks of each other. I did the “year of firsts” and they weren’t great. But I made it through. I have all of Mom and Dad’s stuff still at my house and have started going through everything. That’s in and of itself has had its ups and downs. I have many memories come up that are attached to their stuff.

In the meantime I started dating. (That is a blog post in and of itself) I tiptoed (not through the tulips) my way through online sites to some genuinely wonderful men as well as catfish men who post pictures of “themselves”. I learned how to google pictures that they posted only to find out that some of the pictures belong to men in Europe who are models and are gay (no hate against gay men – however I’m not sure why a gay man would be looking for a woman on a dating app. Wouldn’t they be looking for other men – not women). I do have an update on this regard, however, again that is a completely different blog post that will be coming.

The thing that has caused me to pull out my keyboard once again is something that I feel passionate about as of late. I believe that sometimes we go through things so that we can help others who are in the midst of things we have previously gone through. In fact, last week I got an email from someone who read one of my previous posts on being a modern day Job. She was encouraged by what I wrote and how we are not alone. I have helped someone who lost their father and was an encouragement to help her know that it does get better after you have lost a parent.

One of the things I want to bring up through this post, is domestic violence (or DA as I will refer to it through out the rest of this blog). DA is not always physical or sexual. Sometimes DA is emotional or verbal. As you know I was well able to stand before you and state #metoo when it came to sexual “misconduct” by a trusted adult (in my teens). I also am experienced in what its like to experience verbal or emotional misconduct. In future posts I will share more of my experience in this, this will not be a smear campaign, but a truth telling.

So in light of knowing that I have gone through some of this, I want to let you know a few things.

  1. I believe you
  2. I am here for you – I am NOT a counsellor, but I
  3. I too have started my life over. It is possible and it can be done.

This has just been a quick update on what’s transpired in the last 2 years. I will be writing more soon. But until then have a great day and we will be in touch soon.