Some people know that September 11 is my birthday. Fewer know how that day in 2001 changed my life. Back then, I was very unhappy in my government job. The work itself was interesting and useful, but my boss was demeaning, disorganized, and dismissive. He surveilled us, was verbally abusive and he mismanaged the work …
A client of mine was talking about affirmations and had learned that some indigenous cultures consider affirmations “word medicine”. Culturally “medicine” can refer to a much broader range of substances and practices than can be found in a commercial pharmacy. It got me thinking about what we use to keep us well and healthy and …
I just returned from a month in Europe. I stayed mostly in one big city, taking time to really sink into this very different place. It was a wonderful experience—of course. Great weather, beautiful old buildings and scenery, amazing wine, new foods to try, and local grocery stores to peruse. I even read a couple …
I saw my late mom’s swim friend, V., at the pool yesterday. There is something sweet about her recognizing me as “Esther’s daughter”. Nobody else in Toronto would know me that way. V. is 80. She is bent over and uses a walker. Her spine is visibly twisted. She has had at least one hip …
It is a cold February in Ontario, and two holidays that are supposed to warm our hearts this month are Valentine’s Day and Family Day. Juxtaposing these two holidays has got me thinking a lot about how we think about love, relationships and connection. Valentine’s Day has become an increasingly commercial celebration of coupledom and …
“Good enough” is a gift I offer you this holiday season. I invite you to accept it, embrace it and use it – now and throughout the rest of the year. When you really get comfortable with it – good enough is amazing and freeing. Perfection only really exists in the most special and exquisite …
With so many awful world events happening, it is easy to get caught up in negativity. The news highlights all the bad stuff, and can be overwhelming. “Doomscrolling” has become part of our vocabulary. It takes effort to resist taking in the doom and tragedy…but there is also good news out there! You may need to …
Lately I have rekindled my interest in haiku. You may be familiar with this form of Japanese poetry. 17 syllables: five, then seven, then five. No more. No less. So simple that it is often taught in elementary school as a first introduction to a poetic form. A morsel of word delight. The other day …
What would you do if you knew that this was your last summer? I’m not trying to be morbid, just wondering. This summer I am working less than I have in decades. And it made me feel a little weird. It feels odd and disquieting to have so much non-work, unstructured time. In North American …
I saw this poem on the TTC heading to the deserted Bessarion station, apparently the least-used stop of the entire network. In the quiet of an empty subway car these words were a bit of delight in my day – and I wanted to share them. Seeing this reminded me that beauty and surprise can …