With the world feeling unsettled, it is easy to wonder how much difference any of us can make. Recently, two very small people have been reminding me. 

As many of you know, I’m the proud grandmother of two adorable little girls. 

Sixteen-month-old Evelyn is sharp as a whip and finely attuned to her surroundings. When her dad enjoys his food, he makes a quiet, almost singing sound. Evelyn does too. When he tweaked his back and began grunting slightly as he bent over or stood up, she promptly adopted that habit as well. Apparently, getting up is hard work at sixteen months. 

My daughter Mackenzie, a former competitive gymnast, sometimes twirls her hands to loosen stiff wrists. Now eight-month-old Regan, her sparkling, happy daughter, waves her own little hands, as though conducting an imaginary symphony in the sky. 

After bedtime stories, Mackenzie often reads quietly beside her. Regan now holds up a book, turns the pages, and “reads” aloud to herself. 

These little moments make me smile. They also remind me that our influence often reaches further than our awareness. 

We set a tone through how we listen, show affection, handle frustration, or make room for someone else. Our everyday actions offer examples of what living can look like. 

For those in our Landing Strong community who are off work or unable to return to former duties, it can be difficult to feel that same sense of purpose. Yet your presence still matters. Showing up at a group program, offering a patient response, or having an honest conversation may mean more than you know. Each member of our community is special and has a positive influence on the rest of us. 

We may not be able to settle the world’s troubles. But we can bring warmth and steadiness to our own small corner. 

To come make a difference, contact Julie at 902-472-2972 or jwells@landingstrong.com. 

Warmly,

Belinda Seagram, Ph.D., R. Psych.
Executive Director, Landing Strong

Most days, I head out for a walk at lunch, apple in hand. I tend to finish it around the same spot, tossing the core into a vacant lot before carrying on.

I started this little ritual eight years ago, when Landing Strong was just beginning. Back then, we were planting a seed of hope: a belief that veterans and first responders could have a warm community in which to reconnect, recover, and rediscover what might be possible in their lives.

This spring, something stopped me on my familiar route.

A row of apple trees stood covered in blossoms, spaced almost as though someone had carefully planted them. Each was about the same distance from the road.

About as far as I could throw an apple core.

I smiled.

All these years, those discarded apple cores had been growing into something beautiful – and so had Landing Strong. What began as a seed of hope had become the thriving community it is today.

It made me think about recovery.

We go for a short walk. Reach out to someone we know. Attend a group when staying home feels easier. Practice speaking to ourselves with a little more kindness.

These efforts don’t always feel significant in the moment. Some days, we wonder whether they matter.

But over time, they can take root and grow into connection, confidence, and possibilities we couldn’t have imagined at the beginning.

Eight years ago, I didn’t picture apple blossoms lining that vacant lot. Nor could I fully imagine the community Landing Strong would become.

Sometimes, hope begins with something very small.

And sometimes, we round a familiar corner and discover just how beautifully it has grown.

If you’re looking to plant some seeds this Fall, we still have room in many of our upcoming group programs. For more information, reach out to Julie at 902-472-2972 or jwells@landingstrong.com.

Warmly,

Belinda Seagram, Ph.D., R. Psych.
Executive Director, Landing Strong

Every year, our Landing Strong community heads back to OnTree.

Same course. Same obstacles. Same heights.

But this year, something felt different.

More people showed up. Familiar faces returned. People knew where they were going, what the day would look like, and perhaps most importantly, who would be there beside them.

There were still nerves, of course. But there also seemed to be less hanging back, and more of a sense of we’ve done this before, and we can do it again.

People stepped forward. Some climbed a little higher than they had the year before. Others encouraged the person beside them. And somewhere along the way, something that had once felt intimidating was starting to feel exciting.

The course hadn’t changed.

We had.

Sometimes it is hard to see how far we have come when change happens little by little. But returning to the same place gives us something to measure against.

We can acknowledge that we’ve made progress.

Not because everything suddenly becomes easy, but because one day we realize we’re standing somewhere that once felt unfamiliar, surrounded by familiar faces, ready to take on a little more.

What if everything could change from intimidating to exciting?

Judging by our day at OnTree, perhaps it already can.

If you’re looking for another opportunity to try something new in a supportive space, we have some exciting groups beginning this fall. Our Landing Strong Women’s Wellness Circle begins Thursday, September 24, and Emerge: From Isolation to Connection, a new group focused on addictive patterns of all kinds and finding a way back to belonging, begins Wednesday, October 7 in person and Friday, October 9 online.

For more information about upcoming programs, visit the New Programs page on our website. And as always, if you’re interested or have questions, reach out to Julie at 902-472-2972 or jwells@landingstrong.com.
 

Warmly,

Belinda Seagram, Ph.D., R. Psych.
Executive Director, Landing Strong

This morning, I reached for a sweater and my headlamp before heading out to walk the dogs.

The air felt cooler than it had in long time and carried the scent of fall. It felt like I was transported back to this time last year.

Sometimes, memory keeps time through the body and the senses: a chill in the morning air, the angle of the sun, a familiar smell. We remember in seasons.

September may bring old anniversaries, difficult feelings, or earlier versions of ourselves sharply into view. Busy schedules return, routines tighten, and there can be quiet pressure to accomplish everything before winter.

It may even feel as though we are moving in circles.

But although the season is the same, we are not.

The return of something familiar can offer a measuring stick.

What felt impossible this time last year that now feels manageable? What did you fear was gone forever that has begun, quietly, to return? Where have you become stronger, more open, or more yourself… even if the change has been difficult to see?

Recovery rarely follows a straight line. Perhaps it is more like a spiral: we encounter familiar places again, but each time we are a bit different.

We cannot return to exactly the way things were. We can, however, arrive at another September one year further along our path.

At Landing Strong, we are glad to walk alongside you. If this feels like the right season to take your next step, our fall programs are beginning, with many new opportunities to stay involved. Reach Julie at jwells@landingstrong.com or 902-472-2972.
 

Warmly,

Belinda Seagram, Ph.D., R. Psych.
Executive Director, Landing Strong

I recently had a dream that I could fly.

It’s a dream I’ve had many times – often enough that, in those first few moments after waking, part of me still believes I possess this innate ability. Flying in these dreams doesn’t require wings or any great effort. I simply take a few deep breaths, let go of whatever weight might be encumbering me, and suddenly gravity loosens its hold. I can leap and bound through the air, covering great distances with an incredible sense of freedom and joy.

In this particular dream, I was still working in the penitentiary system. I was practicing my breathing, releasing the weight I was carrying, and happily leaping across the prison yard when a thought suddenly occurred to me: perhaps this wasn’t an entirely appropriate skill to be demonstrating here.

After all, if I taught everyone in the prison how to fly, it could create a rather significant security concern.

But what struck me was what happened next. Rather than deciding I needed to stop flying, I realized that perhaps I simply no longer belonged in an environment where flying was a problem.

There was something wonderfully simple, and surprisingly wise, in that realization.

At Landing Strong, we want to help people make space for flight; not necessarily by leaving behind the lives, work, or responsibilities that matter to us, but by creating room to reconnect with who we are, release some of what weighs us down, and explore who we are becoming.

This fall, there are several new opportunities to do just that. Enrollment is now open for our Identity and Transition course, an opportunity to reflect on who you are beyond the roles and experiences that have shaped you and consider what you want the next chapter to hold.

We are also excited to launch Emerge, a weekly 1.5-hour group for Landing Strong community members affected by substance use or other addictive patterns. Emerge offers a welcoming space for honest conversation, shared learning, practical support, and connection – recognizing that recovery is personal and that not every journey is measured by strict abstinence.

And we are launching the Landing Strong Women’s Wellness Circle, a monthly full-day gathering (9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.) for women, female-identifying and non-binary community members. It will be a day to slow down, connect with others, reconnect with yourself and your body, and explore topics that matter to women throughout recovery and life’s many transitions.

Perhaps this is a good time to ask yourself: What would help me make a little more space for flight?

If one of these programs feels like that space for you, we would love to have you join us. Sometimes the next chapter begins simply by taking a breath, putting down a little of what we’ve been carrying, and discovering just how much room there is to rise. For more information, reach Julie at jwells@landingstrong.com or 902-472-2972.
 

Warmly,