Gratitude makes the journey better and so does kindness

Category: Motherhood Page 2 of 18

Weekly column: With cases growing, we need to change our strategy

Originally published as a column on CFJC Today Kamloops and Armchair Mayor news on February 1, 2021.

If you have kids, you’ve likely been through a case or two of ‘are we there yet?’ and like all parents who are presented with the question, you probably answered ‘almost there…’ knowing that it’ll be a while yet.

Somehow it feels that way with the ongoing pandemic. Last week alone we saw multiple cases show up in our schools and we have the hospital outbreak. As of Sunday, there were 28 patients and 51 staff who tested positive at RIH (update: there are now 91 people affected, staff and patients.)

Weekly Column: Here’s why wearing a mask is not such a big deal after all

Originally published as a column on CFJC Today Kamloops and Armchair Mayor News on Monday, August 10, 2020.

One of last week’s most commented news piece was the one about Walmart and their new mask requirement starting next week.

It’s an interesting one still when it comes to masks. Some grumble and openly refuse to even consider wearing one, while others just go with it, saying it’s good for everyone’s safety. It is. And it does not eliminate the risk completely but it sure takes it down a few notches when we’re out in public.

Weekly column: Birthday wishes for Jessie

Originally published as a column in CFJC Today Kamloops and Armchair Mayor News on July 20, 2020.

When my eldest son turned 18 not long ago, there was a lot to think about other than baking a cake and choosing a gift.

Like all parents, I thought of what’s ahead with a mix of joy and worry, but mostly with excitement. The journey as a grownup is about to begin, right?

I also thought of my friend Jessie Simpson, whom I’ve met in November 2018 and been spending almost every Sunday afternoon with until the pandemic started. It’s impossible not to think of him every time I think of young people starting out in life or graduating, ready for adventures and embracing life.

Webinars, red onions and the basics of fighting bad bugs (or at least having fun while trying)

I have by now received at least 20 invitations to webinars about coronavirus-related topics. Doctors, herbalists, naturopaths, and then more doctors, they are all trying to add to the pool of knowledge and also make the time in ‘captivity’ a bit better. I’ll let you know which made an impact.

Meanwhile, if you want to get an idea about this type of pandemics, here is a talk by Dr. Michael Greger (the brain behind https://nutritionfacts.org and author of How Not to Die and How Not to Diet) which will make say Ha! at least five times, but likely more. Because of how timely the information is though the talk is more than a decade old. (Bonus: it has a transcript too!)

It beats watching the news obsessively and it makes for good conversation with quarantine fellows. The more knowledge, the higher the chance of keeping disease-free. Or?

Find the place where peace is

Some people eat too much sugar and others watch too much TV. I read news and get too involved with it. It is good to stay current, no? Yes, but there is a darker side. Many of the stories are upsetting and often times there is no closure after a particularly heartbreaking one. I cover many in my columns, and then I keep on hoping that there will be some resolution, closure for victims and their families. Sadly, that is not the case. Oblivion is a horrible mistress and our faulty justice system enables it.

Weekly column: A story of heartbreak and hope – My time with Jessie

Originally published as a column on CFJC Today Kamloops and Armchair Mayor News on Monday, November 25, 2019.

The first question I hear every time I walk into his room is ‘What are we going to do today?’. My answer is almost always the same, ‘we can read some, or do rhymes, but first I want you to tell me my name.’ He tries a couple of letters and eventually he guesses it right. We do a fist bump and then another. I tell him ‘you are amazing,’ and he smiles. You too, he says.

I first met Jessie last year on November 24th. I did not know what to expect. I had been following the story since it happened, back in June of 2016.

Weekly column: If it’s about protecting kids from substance harm, let’s go all the way

Originally published as a column on CFJC Today Kamloops and Armchair Mayor News on Monday, November 18, 2019.

Many are welcoming the proposed new measures on vaping products. Others are resenting the tax hike (money grab, they say) and the reduced nicotine content might just drive them back to smoking, they argue. Let’s hope not.

Either way, it will be interesting to see if young people will vape less, or at all. Many still do, and age makes no difference. Nor does the location, as some kids vape right inside schools.

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