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Keep Banging on That Drum
I’m always blahblahblah storytelling, blahblahblah. This essay is about storytelling. For the past few years, the University of British...

Sue Robins
Sep 12, 20203 min read


In Praise of Nurses
A running family joke is that I am half a nurse. I transferred out of nursing into an English program two years into a four year BScN...

Sue Robins
Sep 8, 20201 min read


We Are Never Going Back To Normal
When I got divorced, I never went back to the way it was before, even when I got remarried. When Aaron was born with Down syndrome, I...

Sue Robins
Sep 7, 20201 min read


The Art of Really Listening
The best sort of people are those who create space for stories. They can sit with an uncomfortable story without minimizing it,...

Sue Robins
Aug 20, 20204 min read


trust your gut
The $10,000 question that plagues all families: What are you doing for back to school? Actually, it is more than a $10,000 question...

Sue Robins
Aug 18, 20203 min read


Bird by Bird
I promised myself I’d get this tattoo after I finished my Bird's Eye View book. So in mid-October of 2019, that’s exactly what I did. ...

Sue Robins
Aug 16, 20202 min read


Severe Back to School Jitters
I’ve done the back to school thing with my children for the past 22 years. It is safe to say this year is like no other. My youngest son...

Sue Robins
Aug 13, 20204 min read


The Neonatologist and The Mom: Relationships Matter in Health Care
I first met Dr. Johny Van Aerde in 2008, at a children’s health conference in Montreal. At the time, he was a Neonatologist and Regional...

Sue Robins
Aug 4, 20204 min read


Patient-Centred Care: When words become meaningless
The terminology of what started out as bedside manner has bounced around from patient centred care to patient experience to patient...

Sue Robins
Jul 22, 20202 min read


Explaining K.I.D.S. – Four easy steps to demonstrate respect to patients
I’ll never forget hearing Juliette Schlucter speak at a pediatric health conference many years ago. She shared the concept of K.I.D.S....

Sue Robins
Jul 15, 20206 min read


My Broken Record: Communication is Important
I have this long convoluted COVID-related story about diagnostic imaging appointments at our cancer hospital that got cancelled and never...

Sue Robins
Jul 7, 20202 min read


At the Grocery Store
(September 26, 2020 edited to add: We are back to almost full lockdown again and relying on our local grocery store delivery service. ...

Sue Robins
Jun 27, 20204 min read


an offering in the fog
Life during a pandemic is like driving in the fog too. A friend said it feels like we are wading through molasses. Any certainty I might...

Sue Robins
May 18, 20204 min read


Pandemic Lessons, Week 7
I can't write a story yet in full paragraphs, but I can write a list of what I've learned these past seven weeks: People have a hell of a...

Sue Robins
May 1, 20203 min read


Life's Chaotic Interruptions
Life’s chaotic interruptions are what shape us. Loss, loss and more loss are hallmarks of life.-Bird’s Eye View, page 218 For the past...

Sue Robins
Apr 28, 20203 min read


Aaron Talks COVID-19
Here is my actor-son, Aaron Waddingham, talking (unscripted) about how he feels about COVID-19. Thanks to his awesome acting coach, Lane...

Sue Robins
Apr 8, 20201 min read


Simply Thank You
This is a letter I wrote to my physician friend Dr. Doreen Rabi. I was to speak at her storytelling event in Calgary on April 3, but of...

Sue Robins
Apr 4, 20204 min read


small comforts
Our little family of three is self-isolating for 12 more days, although I believe that everybody will be on lockdown soon. I am relieved...

Sue Robins
Mar 21, 20202 min read


Art of Storytelling Workshops
The best sort of people are those who create space for stories. They can sit with an uncomfortable story without minimizing it,...

Sue Robins
Mar 6, 20203 min read


Try a Little Tenderness
When I found out that I was going to Toronto on a week-long speaking tour in early February Aaron said to me: Can you look for Drake Mom?...

Sue Robins
Feb 16, 20203 min read
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