2011 is almost over….here’s to 2012!

Published on December 30, 2011 by Donna Seale

As the year draws to a close, I wanted to extend my sincere thank you to each of you, my readers, for continuing to tune in when I have a chance to post here, for engaging in discussions with me when my posts happen to trigger a desire in you to write in and for checking in on me when you haven’t heard from me in a while.

2011 has been a year of transition for me. My long-term readers will know that last year my mother suddenly passed away. That was certainly enough to handle but I simultaneously became my sister’s caregiver as well. My sister, who has disabilities, had resided with my parents her entire life. With both my parents now gone, it was left to me to take care of her along with my husband and young children. Oh, and try to run my business while all of this was occurring; something that I simply did not think I was going to be able to do. Fortunately, near the end of last year and after a very long negotiation process, I was able to purchase a home for my sister and have it licensed as a residential care facility. And, fortunately, I have fabulous clients who were very understanding at a time when I needed that more than anything.

My sister now happily resides in the home I purchased with a roommate and they are taken care of by a great core of residential staff. I have spent this past year helping my sister transition to an independent life, a process that has not been an easy or stress-free journey for either of us….or the staff! I also just recently wrapped up the final legal details relating to my mother’s small estate (it was a very long and arduous process which is a whole story on it’s own!).

After my mom passed, I told my sister that when I was able, I would take her on a trip as she had never been on a plane before. And, so we recently went on a Caribbean cruise, something neither my sister nor my family had ever previously done. It was a trip of a lifetime for my sister (well, honestly, for all of us) and being on a cruise ship enabled her to safely explore her new independent life in ways she likely never imagined before. I was thankful to have been able to provide her with this opportunity. Since returning from our trip, though, I have had to take a number of steps back from my sibling-turned-mom role with my sister and learn to let her live her new life, as she has defined it, and experience the consequences that go along with that, both positive and negative. I will continue to grapple with this new relationship with my sister in 2012, no doubt.

Amidst all of this change on the personal side of my life and the challenges and joys that have come with it, my business has pulled through and not only managed to survive but thrive in 2011. I’ve been so busy helping existing and new clients (many of whom started out as readers of my blog) address human rights issues in their workplaces that my ability to post with anything resembling a regular frequency has been impacted. That is something I hope to change in 2012 as I know how much you value staying as up-to-date as possible on human rights issues impacting your workplaces.

Being so busy on the business side, this year I have come to the realization that I can no longer do it alone. So, in 2012, I will be looking to expand my business by bringing in some great people to help me. I’ve already had some really positive discussions with some top-notch people I know can help me continue to provide the level of service my clients have come to expect from me but who can also assist in fulfilling my mandate to provide an even greater range of services to help businesses understand how to comply with human rights law and avoid legal liabilities. Stay tuned!

So, yes, 2011 has been a year of transition for me. But, for the first time in a long while, I can say that I am looking forward to the New Year and what it might bring. I hope you feel the same.

I wish all of you an exciting and rewarding 2012!

Donna