Episode 50: My Journey to Taking a Kinder Path – In Honour of Hayley

Oof. This is hard. This episode is one in which we give the sad news that our wonderful Hayley has passed on. We also attempt to honour her as best we can by discussing her post, My Journey to Taking a Kinder Path. We’re not sure we’ve ever known someone whose blog name is so perfectly reflective of who they are. Hayley has endured cancer and cancer treatment for the past year and a half and did so bravely and optimistically. Our hearts are full of love for her family and our thoughts include them often these days. The sadness we feel, interspersed with the joy we know from having known Hayley, speaks volumes about the value and authenticity of online friendship. We are immensely grateful that Sue Elvis from Stories of an Unschooling Family joined us for this conversation. It was through Sue that we had the opportunity to know Hayley, and out of a hope for more conversation with Hayley from “across the pond” about  the values we share, that the Virtual Kitchen Table idea was inspired and born. Today we discuss Hayley’s own road  to the idea of Taking a Kinder Path: For Ourselves, Our Children and the World and relate it to each of our own. There are so many similarities across three different countries and four different families. We’d love you to have a listen. Sue closes our conversation with these thoughts:“It’s really been an honour to talk about Hayley’s work and so I think we all feel such deep grief for the loss of a friend. I also feel that mingled with that is a sense of joy from her work.  She brought joy and her work will continue bringing joy to people lives, and I think that our conversation today has been mingled up with joy and grief. She can’t help but bring that joy to our lives … … Thank you Hayley for always turning up and writing the blog post and leaving that fabulous legacy.  We need to keep passing on that message that Hayley was so good at sharing … to be kind, don’t divide,  be respectful and love.”Thank you, Hayley, for your beautiful writing and wisdom that we will continue to share and discuss. And thank you for your friendship. We are grateful.  Resources:My Journey to a Kinder Path Episode 5, Part 1: Kindness and Unconditional Love – What Do They Have to Do With Unschooling? Episode 5, Part 2: Kindness and Unconditional Love – What Do They Have to Do With Unschooling? How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk – Adele Faber, Elaine MazlishDr. Sears – Attachment ParentingRaising Your Spirited Child – Mary Sheedy Kurcinka