The Attic is a mix of what I do and who I think I am. It is the 70 acres our family lives on, smack in the middle of Saskatchewan, near Crutwell which still exists on most maps even though the hamlet is a slight interruption in the miles of mostly burnt forest around us. It is the atmosphere of the place - dusty, old with the signs of many previous occupants tucked in unexpected corners, queerly shaped and poorly housekept, but with its own untidy beauty. It is the concept of a spare space, outside of daily life but still joined to it in a treasure-hunting, archive-storing, secret-keeping sort of way as well as the idea that guests may find a place here unlike a typical guest room on the main floor. Elijah was hosted on the roof which could be a kind of attic. The Attic suggests old-fashioned, forgotten but valuable, sunlight slanting in separating dust particles, and time standing still. These are all some of the essence of where we are and what we like to do and who we hope to be.
Attic Therapy, on the other hand, is an attempt to bring the exciting research, theories of the mind, theories of motor learning, theories of sensory processing, and theories of human development and human occupation and apply them solidly in the real world. The world of cats and horses and gravel hills and sloughs with leeches and willows and sky and clouds and weather and trees and sand and growing things. My husband, who is a physiotherapist as well as a father of three, and myself, an occupational therapist and mother of the same three, started this business two years ago in an attempt to fill a need for kids with complex disabilities to find a way to experience life with more depth and meaning and fun and interaction with people who loved them. This blog is about me trying to put all these ideas together - figuring out constantly the boundaries between myself and others, between what can and can't be done, and what is and isn't work.
I am generally overthinking and often overtalking. I am hoping this blog might start a conversation that will continue to sweep out the dust and create more usable space in the funny contours of my life and profession. At the bottom, my philosophy is that what we do can create the treasures we are looking for - a very occupational therapist idea, but definitely challenging for someone juggling as many roles as most women do. I think that doing with our children molds them, shapes their brains, and shapes ours. But doing what, exactly? And what is the balance between sacrifice and sanctuary?
No comments:
Post a Comment