As an author, wife, mother of 3 and office manager, I am often asked how I find time for my craft. On the surface, it seems to most people that being a parent takes a toll on one's ability to write, or at least on one's productivity. The following is Part 1 of a 3-part article that hopes to capture some of the essence of what it means to be a parent and a writer.

Trish was born in Ontario, and now resides in New Brunswick. Like myself, she's lived all over Canada, a fact which no doubt lends her work a tremendous breath of "experience". In addition to geography, Trish has been blessed with another kind of experience: she is both a wife and a mother to 7 children! In her own words, here is what Trish has to say about the impact of "parenting" on her art:
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This is an excerpt from one woman’s account of her ongoing journey as a writer, a parent and a life traveller.

Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body. ~Elizabeth Stone

I love this quote. It says in a nutshell exactly how the experience of parenting has affected my life. If asked about my accomplishments and asked to choose one experience that I felt was my most important contribution, I would not hesitate. The time spent with my children and the reciprocal joy of those relationships was, and continues to be, my most enduring gift. The time I was allowed to travel in the domain of childhood seemed so very short in duration. My work with families is as much a selfish desire to continue the adventure, as an opportunity to provide help where I have experience to offer.

If your heart is forever walking around outside your body, your perspective becomes altered. If you travel in the world of a child, your sensitivities become acute. As a writer, this can be a distinct advantage, a binocular view of humankind. You interpret actions and emotions differently. Values are questioned and redefined. The realization that there is no room for judgemental attitudes becomes apparent.

My children have come into my life in different ways. I gave birth. I am the parent of adopted children and I am a family counsellor. I know the immense capacity of the human heart to love indiscriminately. Relationships become more complex and loved ones become defined in a much broader sense.

Each person, whose life is in any way entwined with ours, can be a potential teacher. We just need to be open to the learning, and be prepared to use the knowledge wisely.
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Trish grew up in Ontario, the eldest of six children. In her words:
I knew from an early age that I was the secret child of some mysterious and soulful writer. My brothers and sisters tell me that their childhood traumas were a result of my creative imagination.

I have lived in Ontario, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, England and now reside in New Brunswick.

I am a true child of the sixties; the ideals of those years are ingrained.

Be gentle with yourself and the world around you. Care for everyone as best you are able. Take joy in all things.

I believe it and I try to live it.

I am mother to seven children, who came into my life in different ways. They are grown and living their own adventures. I am wife to a man who makes me laugh. I share my workday with families and children; they are my teachers and I offer my knowledge to guide their way.

I am a world traveller, a writer of poems and stories for children. At present, I am assembling the bits and pieces of my life and putting them into words. A mystery novel may be somewhere in the future.

Wonderful women to share thoughts with: Joan Baez, Margaret Atwood and Elizabeth May.

If you are interested in learning more about Trish and her work, you can follow her on Twitter: @BluelegsTango !