September 2018 – Hope is Infectious

Ever Thus…

Because many people find the blog format difficult to access and follow, if you wold like an alternate version of the story, email me at kstorey2@alumni.uwo.ca or message me through Linkedin. Kate

Hattie Crawford is a crisis worker in a small town, where she and her partner Jody relocated about three years ago. Their relationship unothers how we gender intimate relationships. Their dialogue reveals the common scope and depth that successfully binds all couples together. Jody is an English teacher at the local high school and her commitment to enhancing a love of literature is equal to Hattie’s commitment to mental health recovery. One of Hattie’s many compelling mental health assignments involves Bridie, a young mother recently diagnosed with terminal cancer. In Bridie’s poignant conversations with Hattie, they explore both the stark realities as well as the subtle nuances of death. Alongside this central relationship, Hattie meets other people experiencing the typical variety of mental health crises who respond, more and less, to her compassionate approach. Hattie’s own experience with addiction and personal crisis shapes and enhances her interactions and approaches to the people she serves. Despite the sad and at times distressing nature of their stories, the daily banter and quotidian of the characters establishes a rich and unusually humorous understanding of all the lives touched by and tangled up in the mental health field. Although heartbreaking, Bridie manages her death with grace and independence. Hattie’s support inspires Bridie’s courage and belief in herself and through this relationship both are changed.