“Mom, I need someone to help me work on my basketball skills. Meet me in the driveway. You just need to dibble and pass, and I’ll practice shooting.”

My instinct and desire is to say: “No. It’s 2 o’clock on a sunny August afternoon in Louisiana… Hot! And I don’t know how to dribble and pass. And I’ll need appropriate shoes.” All excuses because I’m ‘super-busy’ doing things that are not important. But instead, I say: “Ok. I’ll help you improve your game if all I have to do is dribble and pass.” Then I tell myself that I’ll take a 5-minute break from my writing to spend quality time with my youngest son and I meet him on the driveway in the blazing sun.

The year 2020 has been a trying time for the world. Regardless of who you are, where you live, or how much money you have, you’ve been impacted. Everything from feeding your family to social isolation has caused anxiety and stress. Divorce rates are increasing, teen-suicide is at an all-time-high, mortgages are in default, and unemployment has impacted almost every household in one way or another. But I’m here to tell you that anyone can shovel poo for a while.

So, who is Traci Canterbury?

As I navigate this new lifestyle, I’ve vowed to find and appreciate simple joy in everyday life in and through the things I love: art, literature, gardening, hospitality, healthy active lifestyle and travel. I have so much to say and want to get it out of my head …starting a social media feed seems a natural outlet.