Author Archive

I first wanted to be an author when I was 12 years old and in Grade 7. In order to have an honest conversation regarding my journey to actually becoming a published author, I must admit that I was not a shining-star student in Grade 7. I was actually dyslexic and did not know it at that time. I did not understand how I could be so motivated to succeed in school and still be experiencing such a struggle, in particular with math and sciences. I had the worst spelling of anybody in my Grade 7 class and still shudder when I think of those moments when a spelling test required me to stand up by my desk and spell the word out loud. I would break into a cold sweat, stutter over the words, endure my classmate’s giggles at my misspellings and pray for the moment to be done. But even with the trauma of the spelling tests there was something about words that fascinated me – I just did not want to spell them out loud.

I was not sure what lay ahead academically, but I did believe I had more in me and I knew I wanted to express it somehow. I wanted to be good at something! I was 12 and desperately looking for an academic strength and a source of confidence. I was also busy trying to cover up some of my academic weaknesses and was certainly learning that the only way I was going to achieve success was to work very hard. I was probably creative enough to have received some decent marks in my Language Arts class despite the terrible spelling, but I was not an English whiz kid who everyone else predicted would become an academic and author. But I was curious, and that curiosity kept me moving forward despite some of the academic challenges.

The festivities have wound down and now we are faced with the reality checks.  The bills will soon start arriving, there are no more presents to look forward to, and we now have to deal with the consequences of our overindulging.  It is true that the holidays can cause a bit of wear and tear to our health and wealth, but they also mark our time as special and precious.  Do not despair or fight the reality checks, as reality is needed in order to truly be present in your life.  Here are 4 important things to remember in order to lighten the load when the reality checks begin to hit home;

Since the Yuletide comes but once a year, this time is precious, fleeting and oh so dear!

Hold onto the season and share the cheer.  In order to experience MORE merriment and joy, here are four simple tips that can make a big difference in your holiday season;

The holidays can be a stressful time for any family. Family members can get lost in a flurry of activity, focusing on deadlines and forgetting about the joy. But if your family has gone through a separation or divorce, this time of the year may have a whole new set of challenges. The holidays can turn into a very complicated and difficult time for the parents and children from separated families, and below are some tips on how to move your family towards a meaningful and memorable holiday season.

The reality is that children who have parents living in two different homes may experience some extra burdens. They may worry about which parent they will be with at what time, and they may fear that their parents will fight over how they share the holidays. As a child and family therapist, I have had many children sit in my office who told me that Christmas used to be their favorite time of the year, but now they are just dreading it. In order for the adults to help manage this season it is important to understand what turns youthful joy into anxiety and fear. Children may worry they are being disloyal if they start to have too much fun with one parent. They also worry about the parent that they are not with, wondering if that parent is okay. Sometimes they just deeply miss the parent they are not with. The familiar traditions may be gone and this can leave the children feeling as though something or someone is missing.

The holidays can be a stressful time for any family.  Family members can get lost in a flurry of activity, focusing on deadlines and forgetting about the joy.  But if your family has gone through a separation or divorce, this time of the year may have a whole new set of challenges. The holidays can turn into a very complicated and difficult time for the parents and children from separated families, and below are some tips on how to move your family towards a meaningful and memorable holiday season.

The reality is that children who have parents living in two different homes may experience some extra burdens.  They may worry about which parent they will be with at what time, and they may fear that their parents will fight over how they share the holidays.  As a child and family therapist, I have had many children sit in my office who told me that Christmas used to be their favorite time of the year, but now they are just dreading it.  In order for the adults to help manage this season it is important to understand what turns youthful joy into anxiety and fear.  Children may worry they are being disloyal if they start to have too much fun with one parent.  They also worry about the parent that they are not with, wondering if that parent is okay.  Sometimes they just deeply miss the parent they are not with.  The familiar traditions may be gone and this can leave the children feeling as though something or someone is missing.