Thinking about love

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 …

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Good enough

“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 …

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There is good news

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 …

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Haiku

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 …

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The last summer

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 …

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Footnotes for the Toronto Sky

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 …

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Other people’s problems

When a friend or a family member tells you about a problem or is facing a big challenge, how do you respond? Is your first impulse to jump in to help? While your intentions may be good, this may not be the best dynamic for either of you.  Ask yourself why you want to fix …

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What do you want?

Is it scary to think about what you really want? Are you afraid that you will seem foolish or unrealistic? Unfortunately, we are socialized to think that being mature in years or career means being rational and not reaching too far… and that doesn’t serve us. In fact, it stops us from thinking bigger before …

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Happy Women’s Day!

This International Women’s Day I dedicate my post to my first role model: my late mother Esther. She taught me a lot. She talked to me about women forced into marriage by unwanted pregnancy and those who had to quit their jobs when they got married or had a child. She praised nurses and doctors …

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Forgiveness and Resilience

Anyone who has Zoomed with me will see that I like having plants around. To me they are the easiest way to make a room feel alive and create beauty. I am not good with plants, though. I neglect them badly. Sometimes my peace lilies wilt completely. Their forlorn leaves dragging on the table are …

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