Coping methods

While here in Canada we celebrate Thanksgiving a little earlier than our friends in the United States, I feel it works to my advantage. I treat the Thanksgiving holiday — which falls on the second Monday in October in Canada — as the start of a period of…

Over the weekend, I took my daughter to her first in-person birthday party in almost three years. Fate can be cruel sometimes, which is how I found myself at an indoor jungle gym. I forgot how loud children’s screams and high-pitched voices can be, especially when amplified by the warehouse-turned-gym…

If there were a spot on my social media profiles that asked me to describe my position on religion, I’d write, “It’s complicated.” That’s because I’ve had a few too many falling-outs with my God. ‘Why me?’ I was in my early 20s when I suffered my first major…

Nothing irks me more than when a medical specialist tells me to “reduce the stress” in my life. It’s as if stress is the same as a few extra pounds of weight we can cut out with some habit changes. It imagines we can take medication for stress the same…

On a recent overnight trip, my family used a couple of pieces of our luggage set. My husband, Mike, reached into one of the side pockets and retrieved something that shocked him. “What’s this?!” His bewildered look told me he already knew, but he wanted my acknowledgment. I immediately recognized…

Europe is under an extreme weather alert. It’s so hot that certain trains between countries are not operational — the tracks are buckling under the extreme heat. This makes me think of climate in general and in particular how green space, plants, and gardening have positively affected my…

The phrase “fake it till you make it” is meant to encourage self-confidence. During many tough moments in my life, like learning to walk again, I’ve relied on this phrase. There are moments when I don’t feel good, but I’ll fake it and say I feel fine. Sometimes saying how…

Trying something new will always intimidate me. While my head might feel prepared, my body doesn’t always cooperate. This year my husband and I agreed to take in a homestay teenager who is studying dance at the same studio as our young daughter, Sophie. Sydney, our 15-year-old homestay daughter, is…

I’ve been so exhausted before that I’ve said, “No one will know if I leave the kitchen looking like this.” Dirty dishes will be piled up in the sink, while clean dishes are still in the dishwasher. A sticky substance might appear on the counter, but thankfully the black marble…

My mom was incredibly angry with me, and rightfully so, the day I lost my retainer. We fed four kids on one income, yet somehow afforded braces and then a retainer, which I was supposed to wear all the time except when eating. I remember playing with the retainer in…