About Jess Howard
Jess Howard is a single mother living in Shawnigan Lake on Vancouver Island. Jess has been writing on her personal blog hopebomb.com for eight years. Having had a few years of bad luck — including her home burning down and the break-up of a 14-year marriage — she is determined to continue to see the positive in everything and find the path to happiness and joy. Jess holds a Bachelors degree in English from the University of Victoria and several diplomas in photography and media from BCIT, but her real education has come from raising four children ages 6, 8, 10 and 12.
Complete
The day my first child was born my life changed. I had no idea that becoming a mother would change my life, shake it to the core. I finally felt whole and happy. As cliché as it sounds, I was complete. Four children and 13 years later I still … Read more →
There’s a New Toothbrush in My Bathroom
There is a new toothbrush in my bathroom. It is the sign of a new lover in my life. A simple instrument that shows such possibility. A small gesture on both our parts that this is something more. This could be real and true and beautiful. There is … Read more →
Tipping the Balance
I make my living as a waitress. I consider myself a professional. I find it's a career choice that people are both intrigued and repelled by. The restaurant industry is a strange one. It's a whole different way of life. It's not just the working … Read more →
An Angel Trying to Come Home
There is a painting hanging in my kitchen. It was given to me by the woman I bought this house from. She was a single mother too. She raised three children in this house. We bonded almost immediately and dealt with most of the sale transaction … Read more →
How Long Can You Be in Pain?
Recently, very recently, I have decided that it is finally time to let go of the pain I have been carrying around for 30 months. It is time to forgive, to forget, to let go, to move on.
Tilikum the Orca, Olympic Protests and Learning from Our Mistakes
A whale who killed his trainer and a Facebook response to Olympic protesters lead our writer to ponder human beings and our approach to the world.
Narrowing the Lens of Depression
It wasn’t until I was in my 20s that I even realized other people didn’t walk through their days with idle thoughts of darkness and depression, that thoughts of suicide were not part of their mental synopsis.
When Love is Simply Not Enough
I have had a great love in my life. A 14-year marriage that ended with a great crash in March of last year. Understanding the how’s and why’s a marriage end is largely irrelevant to the bystander. However a marriage ends, the saddest part is the loss of that connection. The loss of that love in the universe.
From the Ashes: Life After a House Fire
When a family’s old house burns down, can shiny new renovations ever replace stories that were hidden in old walls?
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