SHAUNAVON — A podcaster with strong ties to the Shaunavon area has released her first book. Tiff Carson’s memoir, Dancing in the Rain, is a courageous and inspiring work that brings readers on an emotional journey through a series of complex life situations that she translates into messages of healing and love.
Challenges with fertility, the eventual diagnosis of all three of her children with ADHD and ODD (Oppositional Defiance Disorder) and a marriage ending in divorce, are deeply personal stories that Tiff shares with readers, along with her resulting grief and mental health struggles.
However, it’s the tumultuous relationship with her older brother, Cory, and the sibling grief she experienced leading up to and following his fentanyl overdose death in 2021, that forms the central theme of her debut novel. Before becoming an author and speaker, Tiff has been producing her podcast since 2020 entitled, “Hard Beautiful Journey”, with over 90 episodes to date.
Carson visited her hometown of Shaunavon for the inaugural Me Time event of the season at the Veren Wickenheiser Centre on September 26, organized by the Grand Coteau Heritage & Cultural Centre, Shaunavon Library and Shaunavon Wellness & Leisure. A large crowd was in attendance including many friends who went to school with Tiff. Her visit was combined with a presentation to Shaunavon High School students earlier in the day. Carson said, “If my words can impact even one young person, then sharing this story is worth it. I couldn’t help but look at the students and think of my brother at that age.”
As a young teenager, Cory experienced trauma that impacted him deeply, leading to a troubled relationship with his father, police arrests, jail time and a long battle with addictions. Tiff attributes Cory’s experiences to generational trauma and the fact that he kept those experiences a secret for many years. Late in his journey, she learned about the situations that impacted his life when he finally chose to use his voice and talk about them. Carson states, “Avoidance of issues and feelings doesn’t help anyone. We have to stop sweeping things under the rug. My message is simple. Use your voice.”
She adds, “Writing is what I need to heal my heart.” She confesses with a laugh, “I was not a model English student. But, in response to my grief, I began to journal. As the words poured out of me, I knew that I was meant to use my voice to tell my story and Cor’s story.”
Carson has transformed those words into a book that is, at times, difficult to read while also offering a beautiful, intimate picture of sibling reconciliation and love. “I finally decided to love my brother through it (his addictions), no matter what. What I’ve also realized through my own grief and in writing this book, is that the grief of losing a sibling is not really talked about a whole lot.” She plans to write more books and the next topic she may address is divorce grief.
The Carson family is well known in the area with Tiff’s fad, Kenny Carson, being one half of the band, Two Bad. Tiff’s mom and sister, Judy and Denise, accompanied her to the event.
In addition to journaling and writing, some of the self-care methods she employs include meditation, attending retreats (she’s currently making plans to host a retreat of her own) and breathwork. Tiff’s presentation begins with an invitation to the audience to ‘Breathe in, Breathe Out’. She believes in the power of receiving messages from our loved ones, even after death, and knows that her brother wants her to tell this story.
Carson encourages, saying, “It’s OK to be vulnerable and to not be sure of where that’s going to lead you. Whether it’s talking to someone, writing or finding a community: connection is so important to our existence. And even with all the hard, it’s about love.”
Her website offers journaling prompts as one tool to use to begin writing down feelings. When asked how she would reply to one of those prompts: How do you think you’ll feel about your journey in 5 years? She replies, “Proud. I’m proud of myself. I’m proud of everyone who’s working on themselves and those who are using their voice.” Her mom Judy joined Tiff and me for our interview and echoed those sentiments, “I’m proud of you too, honey.”
More information on Tiff Carson, her podcasts, speaking engagements and the book are available at www.tiffcarson.com and you can follow her on social media. Dancing in the Rain is available on Amazon.
