Co-parenting with My Daughter

April 27, 2014

My daughter Kelley and I have decided to co-parent. She’s probably deciding on our new baby right now. I know she’ll pick a good one. I’m not a research person but Kelley can discuss anything from car mechanics to home-made bacon jam. She already has three babies, but they’re strictly hers. At least the two […]

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The Afterlife: Do You Believe?

March 20, 2014

When you’re dead, you’re dead. Gone, never to be heard from again. No funeral for me please or celebration of life. Those words have become a cliché to me and the celebrations are awkward. What does one talk about after the first ten minutes? Before he died Dad said, “Throw me in a ditch. I […]

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Mental Illness is Not an Exclusive Club

February 16, 2014

Two years ago I was invited to join the local Consumer Advisory Committee; individuals who have lived experience with mental illness or are caring for a person experiencing mental illness. I can put my hand up to both categories. As a child, I was anxious about nearly everything. Afraid walking two blocks home from school. […]

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Love and Limitations – Thoughts About Advocacy

January 20, 2014

I love to watch people and wonder about their lives. Doctor’s offices are the best venues for my type of eavesdropping. Folks sit close together and their conversation is easily overheard. If I’m really intrigued, I’ll ask questions. To date, no one has rejected me. Maybe that’s because I don’t talk to just anyone and […]

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More Apologies are Needed

December 10, 2013

  On Monday December 9, 2013, Kathleen Wynne, Premier of Ontario, and two other party leaders, apologized to the former residents of Huronia Regional Centre. They apologized for the mistreatment and abuse thousands of them received at the hands of their caregivers. Huronia Regional Centre opened in 1876 and was originally called Orillia Asylum for […]

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Win a Free Copy of Finding Matthew

December 6, 2013

I am currently running a book giveaway competition over at Goodreads.com. Click “enter to win” below if you’d like to be in with a chance to win a free copy of Finding Matthew. N.B. You will need to sign in to Goodreads to enter. If you’re not already signed up with Goodreads, I’d recommend it. It’s […]

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Never Totally Happy, Never Totally Sane

November 15, 2013

“Mom, I found a lump in my breast.” I reassure my daughter Louise that eighty-five percent of breast lumps are benign. But I can’t reassure myself. The fire in my belly is too real. Louise’s older brother Reese died of pneumonia three years ago. He was a person with disabilities. I would have taken his pain and […]

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Book Review of a Girl’s First Novel

November 3, 2013

My granddaughter has written a book: Ariel the Little Mermaid, by Sloane Eva Kirk. It’s her first, she’s four years old. When Sloane showed me the book last night, she had completed at least ten chapters. Sloane has enlisted a helper to form the words because right now, she can only write her name. The […]

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Esther, Nearly a Decade Since 9/11

September 28, 2013

I thought I’d share with you all a short piece I published this week on readwave.com. The story, based on a wonderful conversation I had with a mother in Florida, is embedded below. Please scroll down to read it. Note that you’ll need to click the pink “next page” when you’ve finished reading the part […]

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My Daughter, My Hero

September 3, 2013

Despite my daughter Kelley’s breast cancer diagnosis, double mastectomy and now, chemotherapy treatments, she is leading a positive, busy life. Her superior intelligence and talent as an artist inspire her friends and supporters. Kelley has fashioned this beautiful beaded Bra and entered it into The Run for the Cure contest. She also had to write […]

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