“Living at risk is jumping off the cliff and building your wings on the way down.” (Ray Bradbury).
Cliff Jumping
And the cliff is always steep. And the cliff has rocky outcrops. And the cliff looking down speaks of unimaginable disaster. And a fall represents almost certain death.
And safety comes from control. And safety is found in familiar. And safety is routine that is predictable and unchanging. And longevity seldom equates with risk taking.
And safety is a myth. And safety comes with living small. And safety is all illusion that spirals into chaos when experiences are avoided. And safety is a life of grey.
And cliffs are ruggedly beautiful. And they are a place where unknown and known collide. And updrafts swirl along the cliff face. And cliffs are where birds glide in the open.
And living fully is a risk. And living at risk and living with risk are different. And we are not building wings because we already have them. And in the jumping off cliffs we learn we are eagles.
– Marie-Jo Cleghorn
This poem was written by Marie-Jo Cleghorn as she prepared to make a bold move in her career. She was leaving the comfort and familiarity of an organization she had been with for 18 years to step into the unknown of a new role — Director of Care at Providence Village.
Marie-Jo, more commonly known as MJ, is an accomplished and passionate nurse and health-care leader, and, as illustrated in the poem above, a gifted writer and poet. She joined the Village in July 2024 to lead a team of more than 40 care providers — Registered Nurses, Registered Practical Nurses, and Personal Support Workers — who cares for more than 50 Sisters at Providence Village, living both inside and outside Providence Motherhouse, the home of the Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul.
MJ joined the Village during a period of rapid growth and evolution. It was shortly before Providence Village assumed operations of Providence Motherhouse in early 2025 and began overseeing the care of the Sisters who live there. At the same time, the Village was beginning to welcome new subtenant organizations into the Motherhouse — a space that had traditionally served as the congregation’s home base.
The Motherhouse the Sisters had known since it was built in 1932 was changing quickly as their vision for Providence Village as a community of care began to come to life. MJ was tasked with ensuring the continued high-quality care of an aging community of Sisters whose congregation is gradually coming to completion, all while leading her team through a period of significant change.
MJ couldn’t be entirely sure what she was signing up for when she accepted the role of Director of Care, but she knew she was up for the challenge and the adventure.
“When I first came over to Providence Village, I had former staff asking me, ‘What is it that you’re going to do there?’,” MJ recalls. “I said, ‘I’ve been hired as the Director of Care,’ but I tagged an adjunct onto my title — ‘and Builder of Dreams.’ I think this Village is an opportunity to draw in so many different partners to serve our community in ways we can’t fully appreciate or imagine yet. The fact that I get to dream along with that, and be part of the birth of it, is incredible.”
MJ wasn’t afraid of the risk of leaving something familiar for something unknown — she was drawn to the Village for the possibilities it presented. And for one other very important reason: the Sisters.
“When I think about the Sisters — their mission, their impact, their servant heart and desire to leave our community with more than when they arrived — I’m inspired,” explains MJ. “I’m inspired in how I interact with people, how I choose to work with my team, how I reach out to partners, and most importantly, how I care for the Sisters who receive our care.”
MJ in the centre, holding a bowling ball, surrounded by Providence Village colleagues during a staff bowling game at Providence Motherhouse.
The Sisters are undoubtedly a source of inspiration for MJ in her everyday work. They have also been inspiring people across our community since they first came to Kingston in 1861 to “care for the needs of the poor.” Since that time, this compassionate and determined group of women has continually found innovative ways to grow their impact and carry out their mission — their latest, and perhaps most ambitious endeavour, being the creation of Providence Village as a lasting way to serve the community long after their congregation comes to completion.
“I come from really strong women’s stock,” says MJ. “Women who did not fit the mold. Women who were not satisfied with what might have been their lot in life — they made their own opportunities. I see a kindred spirit in many of the Sisters I work with. They inspire me to continue reading. They inspire me to question. They inspire me to grow and change. They inspire me to never put an end to what I can contribute — because we have powerful women living with us at Providence Motherhouse who are in their 80s, 90s, and even 100s, and they’re still making a difference.”
And so is MJ. Across a career that has taken her from the bedside to leadership roles, she has remained guided by a simple belief: caring for the vulnerable is a privilege. That perspective fuels her passion for building strong teams and mentoring the next generation of health-care professionals.
“I try to be transformative. I try to empower my team. I try to hear their perspectives and understand where there are barriers. I want to ensure everyone has as much input as possible,” explains MJ.
MJ is her team’s biggest champion, always finding ways to celebrate their successes and highlight their work. She’s also encouraged to see that this spirit of support is becoming more common across the health-care sector.
“I think one of the most rewarding things I’ve seen more recently among women in leadership is that we don’t have to tear each other down in order to be successful,” MJ reflects. “I think women used to feel like they had to play it as a man’s game — that they had to put on a tough veneer and potentially sacrifice each other in order to move ahead.”
She says one of the things she enjoys most about working at the Village is being surrounded by and collaborating with powerful women.
“I don’t feel like I have to hold everything on my own. I’m not threatened by someone knowing more than me, and I have no difficulty sharing my knowledge with those who might know less than me. Together – oh my gosh, we are so much more powerful.”
MJ has learned many important lessons throughout her career and has been profoundly impacted by the patients and families she has cared for, as well as the colleagues she has worked alongside. She’s happy to share some of the wisdom she has gathered along the way.
“Don’t pigeonhole yourself. Don’t believe that whatever you choose is the only story you get to write. You can redesign, reshape, and reimagine yourself a thousand times. You are never trapped. There’s always a door that can be opened. The person who most needs to believe in yourself is you — and it’s okay to be wrong. You learn from mistakes. You dust yourself off and you get back on that bike.”
For MJ, those lessons continue to shape how she approaches her work today and how she thinks about the future of Providence Village.
“I get to be part of the leadership team at the Village that is shaping the future — how wonderful is that? The Village is going to keep changing and evolving. It’s going to be a dynamic place.”