Catherine Oceano

Canada

Writer at Medium

Mother, grandmother, writer, nature lover

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Articles

Canada Voted

1 week ago | medium.com | Catherine Oceano

But we still need to make our voices heardMy Canada held an election last week. We voted in a new Prime Minister. Our Liberal party stayed in power partly because its leader demonstrated the ability to talk firmly to and about Donald Trump. He’s not as left as I would have liked, but we don’t have much of that here, even from our New Democratic Party.
How Old Is Old Enough?

2 weeks ago | medium.com | Catherine Oceano

“The longer I live, the more beautiful life becomes.” (Frank Lloyd Wright) Non-fiction pieces, personal essays and occasional poems that explore how we feel about how we age and offer tips for getting the most out of life. Follow publicationAnd what makes a life you want to hold on to? When I was young, I thought 60 was old. If you lived that long, you had had enough of life. Or so it seemed to the 20-year-old me. My mother died when she was 67 and I was 30.
What Happens When You Die?

2 weeks ago | medium.com | Catherine Oceano

THE WIND PHONEMy brother wanted to knowI watched my brother take his last breath on Friday past. His eyes held mine. There was no fear, just wonder. The look in them reminded me of a photo of him when he was a child. The same gaze. Bright blue eyes that held the promise of an adventure, the sense of excitement that a new day brings. And yet he knew he was about to die. I never knew my brother as a child. He was ten years older.
The Power of Our Words

2 months ago | medium.com | Catherine Oceano

Someone from afar read my story, and it made a differenceCatherine Oceano·FollowPublished inThe Narrative Arc·4 min read·--We are not alone, even when we think we are. Photo credit: Catherine Oceano, authorI’ve mostly lost the urge to write. I began here on Medium a few years ago with stories to tell. It was cathartic to put words to some of my life experiences, many of them hard. Some days, I was driven; at other times, it was more like work.
Parenting Never Ends

Feb 6, 2025 | medium.com | Catherine Oceano

And neither do the surprisesCatherine Oceano·FollowPublished inThe Parenting Portal·3 min read·--Photo by Jonathan Borba on UnsplashOn New Year’s Eve, my husband and I spent the evening watching shows on a streaming service we didn’t have at home. At midnight, he remarked on the time, and we wished each other a happy new year. It was uneventful. Shortly afterwards, we went to bed.
Waiting for the Baby

Nov 29, 2024 | medium.com | Catherine Oceano

I remember those last days before my life changed foreverCatherine Oceano·FollowPublished inThe Parenting Portal·4 min read·--Photo by Izabelly Marques on UnsplashShe waits with a quiet calm that belies what hides beneath. The world will soon change forever, and then all will be revealed. It’s hard to go to bed each night and wake in the morning wondering if this will be the day. Trying to be patient but eager all at the same time.
I’ve Been Feeling Hopeless About the World

Nov 20, 2024 | medium.com | Catherine Oceano

But I can’t stay in this place — there is too much to doCatherine Oceano·FollowPublished inFourth Wave·4 min read·--Photo credit: author, Catherine OceanoI have written three times in the last two months, the most recent was a few weeks ago. That’s not like me. Returning from a month away on a ship coming from the Arctic, working long shifts and being removed from social media and life in the “real” world, was a rude awakening.
What Would I Have Done to Save My Son From His Death to Addiction?

Aug 6, 2024 | medium.com | Catherine Oceano

What Would I Have Done to Save My Son From His Death to Addiction? My son died last year as a result of the toxic drug supply at the age of thirty-one. He had been clean for several years and had reconnected with family, and got a job and a car. We were all overjoyed to find him back in our lives; camping, holding nieces and nephews, playing practical jokes and overall loving a simple life. Then one day a friend of his who was still using offered up the good stuff. Ray couldn’t resist.
I Suppressed My Feelings in a Time of Crisis

Jul 29, 2024 | medium.com | Catherine Oceano

Writing Prompt Response But nothing could hide my distress My teenage daughter told me I was being a negative person and ruining Christmas. It was two weeks before and we had been to pick out a tree. Normally a happy occasion this particular holiday season was ending an autumn filled with drama. We had tramped around the meadows of the tree farm and selected the fir that most of the kids agreed would nicely fill the picture window where it would sit.
Once Upon a Time, She Hoped She Was Born into Royalty

Jul 25, 2024 | medium.com | Catherine Oceano

Writing Prompt Response She had big hopes shattered by epiphanies. Katy-Pat thought perhaps she was meant to be a princess even though her sister told her she was found in a ditch and adopted because their parents felt sorry for her. Maybe that made it easier to consider the alternatives. That these weren't her real parents.