As someone who struggles with chronic anxiety, I know that the first rule of anxiety-club is that you don’t talk about anxiety-club. We tend to feed off each other, reinforcing each other’s fears, so we only discussed the topic briefly before transitioning to the practical exercise. At its core, “anxiety” is simply “distrust,” so I can’t cure anxiety. I can, however, provide a safe, affirming environment where you’re free to stretch yourself as far as you’d like, without fear or judgement… and we saw some AMAZING acts of courage on this outing! As I face some of my most anxious moments, it’s YOUR courage that inspires me to push through it!

One young lady was particularly inspiring. She worked so hard to hold a snake, shivering with nerves… but she pushed through it and held Wilson, one of my largest ball pythons. As if that wasn’t courageous enough, as I was taking Wilson away from her, Marsha asked if she could hold him again for a photo… AND SHE DID! My hope is that the empowering experience of confronting and overcoming anxiety is a feeling they’ll chase in all aspects of their lives, because the only thing holding us back is fear.

I’ve come to understand that our weaknesses are part of us, but they do not define us. To the contrary, they are stepping-stones to finding our strengths! I’m still finding my own way through fear but your courage has been an enormous source of strength for me. HUGE thanks to the staff and student at CK for a fantastic day focused on all aspects of wellness & self-care! We’re so grateful for the opportunity to share these amazing experiences with you!

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Not many photos because my photographer (aka: my beloved wife) was working but, as you can see, the star of the show was my dear friend, Dinah-Mite Pythons‘ adult boa, Zephyr! Kate-Lynn went so above & beyond… she actually took time-off so that she could bring Zeph for a visit, so HUGE thanks to our Katie! Emma & Kate-Lynn, both, did an amazing job at helping people connect with these misunderstood critters, I couldn’t be more proud of them.

Snakes live shy, stealthy lives so we rarely give them a second-thought. Their mysterious lives and weird shape are enough to cause apprehension, but the handful of potentially fatal species makes ALL snakes suspect and terrifying to many. However, the vast majority of snakes are completely harmless to humans, including all of our native Nova Scotia snakes along with my ambassadors, all common pet-species. I don’t have any special “snake-whispering” powers… they’re just incredibly misunderstood and it’s been such a privilege to be able to show you what they’re REALLY like. They may be packaged strangely, but they’re just little animals… with their own unique behaviours and individual personalities.

Thank you SO much for inviting us back and I hope we’ll have many more opportunities to visit in the future! |

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It’s always extra special when we get to celebrate birthdays for my volunteers and the whole team had an absolute blast hanging out with Kate-Lynn’s friend & family! The only one missing was Dinah-Mite Pythons but she still sent a few of her babies to visit, including her sweet adult boa, Zephyr!

With Kate-Lynn, Sara, Sarah & Emma plus Dinah‘s snakes all present, it felt more like a company meeting! BEST MEETING EVER! It was so wonderful to see Katie’s family & friend (singular… apparently she only has one friend ) and Marsha & I were absolutely overjoyed to see our dearest Shelby after so many years and introduce her to her “namesnake,” our Kenyan sand boa.

There were a number of times when I just stood in the background and took in how incredibly blessed I am to have these wonderful people in my life. There is nothing I’ve ever done, no accomplishment or virtue, that deserves the overwhelming love I’ve been blessed with, but I thank God for it every single day.

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A few very nervous people took AMAZING leaps of courage to push their boundaries, and it was awe-inspiring to see. When I consider some of the anxieties that I struggle with, seeing people overcome a lifetime of fear and/or trauma is so inspiring! Thanks to all the Acadia University students & staff who came out and to the Library for inviting us!

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