SYDNEY, N.S. –

After driving near the water that winter day, Brian Lavery thought he saw a dog splashing in the waves – then realized it was way too cold for that.

“And so I looked back,” Brian recalls. “And I just saw these little arms and legs going.”

Without thinking, Brian raced into the frigid water until it reached his chest, and found a small child floating facing down.

“It was traumatic,” Brian says. “I was afraid that when he stopped moving… something terrible had happened.”

When Brian turned the small body over, he saw a little boy’s face.

“He was as red as a beet and then he let out a blast of air,” says Brian, who cradled the boy in his arms and carried him safely to shore. “You know it was a gift. I was so grateful.”

That was 1968, when Brian was barely 18. The boy he saved, Michael Pickup, had just turned two.

“And that was the last I saw Michael,” Brian says. “Until about three weeks ago.”

Now grown up, Michael had come across an old newspaper article about the incident, with the headline “Child Is Saved From Drowning,” and realized this was far more than just a story about him being an adventurous toddler.

“Had it not been for this guy, I would have been dead,” Michael says from his office in Victoria. “I wouldn’t be here today.”

So Michael started searching for Brian online from B.C., before finding him in Nova Scotia, then flying across the country so they could meet each other the first time in 56 years.

“It was like we had know each other with out knowing each other,” Michael says. “It was really quite lovely.”

“It was moving,” Brian adds.

While Brian had received multiple thank you letters from Michael’s family at the time, calling him “brave” and “a miracle,” Michael finally got to express his gratitude in person, calling Brian a hero.

“That touches you in a way you can’t put into words,” Brian says.

Michael says the experience inspired him to pay it forward by helping others. Along with working as B.C.’s auditor general, he was recently recognized with a King’s Coronation Medal for outstanding public service.

“This is my second chance,” Michael says. “And I’m going to make the best of it in every single thing I do.”

Brian says he ended-up saving two other people from drowning over the years, teaching him that life is precious.

“You can’t live in the past, you can’t live in the future,” Brian says. “You only have the present.”

So cherish every moment, Brian says, and always help others do the same. 

The term “digital nomad” refers to individuals who leverage technology to work remotely. This allows them to travel and live anywhere with an internet connection.

This lifestyle has become increasingly popular as people seek freedom from traditional office settings, giving them a chance to explore new routines.

Some countries offer programs for temporary remote workers, like a California woman who secured Italy’s new digital nomad visa to work remotely for her U.S.-based PR business.

If you’ve embraced this way of life, CTVNews.ca wants to hear from you. We’re reaching out to digital nomads – whether you’re currently living this lifestyle of have done so in the past.

What inspired you to take the leap into location-independent work? Did you sell or rent your home, and what were you circumstances before making this decision? We’re curious about the kinds of jobs you hold and how you manage work-life balance on the road.

Additionally, we’d love to know about your experiences, including what has been the hardest part? What successes have you celebrated along the way? What tips would you offer to someone thinking about becoming a digital nomad? How much did you need to earn to sustain this lifestyle?

Share your story by emailing us at dotcom@bellmedia.ca with your name, general location and phone number in case we want to follow up. Your comments may be used in a CTVNews.ca story.

Some people love to wash their car, and for others, it’s their most hated chore. It’s a necessity for car owners, so no matter where you fall on the love-hate spectrum, you want a car wash that’s going to give your car a deep clean that lasts. Automatic car washes are at almost any gas…

  When you take your car to the car wash, there are multiple add-ons available, and one common choice is spray-on wax. It may seem like it doesn’t make a difference, but there are some important benefits. And these benefits go beyond how shiny your will car looks. What Are the Benefits of Waxing Your…

Even when you are lucky enough to start with an empty room, it can be overwhelming to design an interior that you can enjoy for years to come. Following some basic interior design principles, you can transform your space into a relaxing room you will be comfortable and happy with. Decide what your focal point will be and build out from there.  For best results, keep proportion and scale in mind as you decorate as well as these tips!

 Deciding on Your Focal Point
Do you have a magnificent bay window with an incredible view?  Is there an ornate mantle that is the reason you fell in love with your home? Or is there something you absolutely MUST HAVE in the room? Situate your furniture around your chosen focal point to create balance and equilibrium. If your room does not already have an existing focal point, create one with oversized art or add an accent point like a free-standing fireplace, they come in a variety of sizes and styles. Symmetrically balance the room evenly so that both sides mirror one another.  This will help your chosen focal point stand out all the more! Use matching accent tables to flank your sofa or use different pieces of furniture to create a copacetic visual impact, like two similar armchairs to balance a sofa.
Repetition for Rhythm
Rhythm creates a flow and helps direct the eye to the differing visual elements in your room. Just as the notes of a favorite song repeat to create the rhythm, repetition in decor will create a rhythm throughout a home. Establish visual interests with a rhythm throughout your space by placing similar colours or patterns at intervals and repeat in artwork, cushions or area rugs.

Perfect Proportion and Suitable Scaling
Who doesn’t love a large, overstuffed chair? But if your room is on the smaller size it may look out of place and make your room seem even smaller than it is. Keep proportion in perspective. Proportion is the ratio between a piece of furniture and the size of a room. Scale is the size of a piece of furniture in relation to the other pieces of furniture in the room. A super large chair will overpower an apartment of loft size sofa or loveseat and create a sense of unbalance in the room.

Have your room humming harmoniously
Creating harmony will enhance how much you will continue to love your finished. Pull the room with a subdued colour palette for a pleasing, harmonious vibe.   together for a pleasing, harmonious look with a subdued color palette. You can also use a single colour for elements that vary in size and shape. Check out our blog on Doing White on White Right! for more tips!

What is the focal point in your room?  What is your best tip to find harmony and balance through your home?