Daniela Ginta, Freelance Writer

Gratitude makes the journey better. Kindness, too.

Category: Life Stories Page 9 of 46

Writing things down – Why it matters

By

On October 29, 2019

In Health, Kamloops, Learning, Life Stories, Self-improvement

Among all my cookbooks there is an old notebook which I will never part with. It contains my Mom’s recipes which she wrote by hand, in alphabetical order, over many years. The notebook was not alphabetical but she made it so by carefully cropping a few pages for each letter.

I love that recipe notebook with its dark blue vinyl covers, the occasional oily page and the chocolate stain here and there. I can almost hear my Mom’s voice and smell the flavours of each recipe. There are no photos, but the handwriting tells stories. Some recipes were written in a hurry, with words bumping into each other; others were carefully written, with words luxuriously lining up one after another.

Read More

Weekly Column: Helping youth succeed makes for a better society

By

On October 29, 2019

In Armchair Mayor Column, Health, Kamloops, Learning, Life Stories, Motherhood, Self-improvement, Social issues

Originally published as a column on CFJC Today Kamloops and Armchair Mayor News on Monday, October 28, 2019.

I just read an uplifting news story. It was about the tuition waiver program for the former youth in care. About 1,119 young people got a fresh start in life due to the program. I can only imagine how empowering the feeling, and I can safely assume that the gratefulness born from that will create many happy ripples along the way. To say that we need more of that in today’s world is an understatement.

Talking to high school graduates or young adults who are trying to find their way, the one limiting factor many are pointing to is money. Going to school for higher education is one expensive affair. Some say they will not go to university until they are sure of their choice so they will not pay tuition money for nothing.

Read More

Weekly Column: Let’s keep the political conversations going – and include kids

By

On October 24, 2019

In Climate change, Health, Kamloops, Learning, Life Stories, Self-improvement, Social issues

Originally published as a column on CFJC Today Kamloops on Monday, October 21, 2019.

By the time you are reading this (this was on Monday of course), the voting is in full swing. Did you vote? Please do, voting is defining democratic right that no one should take for granted. The campaign has been wild enough and many say politics is ugly. Yes, it is at times, but we cannot do without. And voting gets us closer to where we want to be. Hopefully. I know, it’s a nail biter.

Regardless of how one feels about the campaign, there is something we all need to acknowledge: it takes courage to put yourself out there as a candidate. The volume of nastiness that comes to wards those whose names are up resembles a tsunami of some sort; discouraging even, but such is the nature of the game.

Read More

Weekly Column: The two questions we ought to find better answers for

By

On October 17, 2019

In Armchair Mayor Column, Health, Kamloops, Learning, Life Stories, Motherhood, Social issues

Originally published as a column on CFJC Today Kamloops and Armchair Mayor News on Monday, October 14, 2019.

A week ago, on Monday, kids and teenagers all over Canada went to school in the morning and returned home after school ended. All except one. Devan Bracci-Selvey, a 14-year-old from Hamilton, was stabbed and killed during school hours, behind the high school he attended. His mother was with him. Can you imagine? I cannot. Ever.

Read More

October 8, 2019. Noon. Snowing.

By

On October 8, 2019

In Environment, Kamloops, Learning, Life Stories, Motherhood, Self-improvement, Social issues

I had to look twice to make sure; OK, three times. It was snowing. The wind had been blowing since yesterday when it was 18 degrees Celsius in late afternoon. All degrees but four got scattered by bedtime. We lost two more overnight.

Today at noon we got snowflakes. A first this time of the year by everyone’s account. Dog and I took a walk in that swirling mad snowflake dance and I realized this sad fact: first snow always had my heart flutter with joy. Always. Today, this year, the flutter is missing and instead I feel sad and worried. The world is changing and I do not care about making yet another point about climate change (yes, it is real, and yes, I am shaking my head knowing it is still debated; seriously!). But.

Read More

Weekly Column: The complex price of hoaxes

By

On September 24, 2019

In Armchair Mayor Column, Kamloops, Learning, Life Stories, Motherhood, Self-improvement, Social issues

Originally published as a column on CFJC Today Kamloops and Armchair Mayor News on Tuesday, September 24, 2019.

When I returned home from walking the dog that morning my youngest was still at home. Enthusiastic grade 8 student that he is, skipping was out of the question. He had walked to school as usual and was told to go back home by the vice principal. There was a police car in the alley, my son said, blocking access to the school entrance.

Read More

What would Dr. Seuss say…

By

On September 15, 2019

In Climate change, Environment, Health, Kamloops, Learning, Life Stories, Motherhood, Self-improvement, Social issues

One facet…

Two days ago, I read a thought-provoking article about the strategy (or one of them) that Dr. Seuss used to create his work. He was challenged (it was a $50 bet in fact) to write a kids’ book using only 50 words that a grade 1 student would understand and handle with ease. Green Eggs and Ham was born and if you haven’t read it yet, please do today because that it will make your day, and beyond. It has rhyme, reason (obviously) and quirkiness galore.

When the boys were little, we collected and read as much Dr. Seuss as we could. Quirky and funny and rolling off the tongue is the recipe for what children like in a book and parents can read many, many times over without wanting to tear their hair out of sheer boredom. Not with Dr. Seuss’s books. A healthy side-effect: They incited the boys to want to read by themselves. Just to have that silly rumble of words come out of their mouths instead of mine.

Read More

Page 9 of 46

Previous

Next

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén