Tag: kids
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Falling Into Change
Sigh. Fall is such a pivotal season. Way more so than the new calendar year. At least for me. I’m not sure of a time when it wasn’t. As a student it marked the beginning of a new school year and a whole novel set of unknowns. As a parent, I pile my kids’ anxieties…
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The Power a Hug Holds
Summer is palpable right now. I can hear it billowing through the wide open windows and screen doors; the playful squeals from neighbourhood kids, the hum of distant lawn mowers, and the hullabaloo of nesting birdsong, all breeze through the house, bringing it to life. The tree leaves stretch open and fill the gaps between…
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Spring
Giggles from a nearby backyard merge with a cacophony of birds chirping; boisterous chatter narrating busy spring preparations of gathering materials, and building nests. Little green buds highlight each of the swaying branches outside our front window, each bursting with anticipation of bloom. The muddy yellow patch of lawn, slowly coming back to life. The…
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Triggers
This morning, a seemingly insignificant verbal exchange triggered me intensely. I didn’t really understand why in the moment, but I was instantly heart-pounding-out-of-my-chest, head-throbbing, ready-to-explode, upset. I needed to catch my breath. I stepped outside, felt the shock of cool rain drizzle onto my bare arms and face and felt like I had run a…
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Broken
The vice grip on my head tightens. My temples pulse; the throbbing pain trails down the side of my neck to where my shoulders connect. I am acutely aware of the ache in my jaw, and realize I have been grinding my teeth. My gums are swollen and bruised from the trauma. My eyeballs feel…
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Volatility
Remnants of our Super Bowl supper scatter the dishes spread across the cloth cloaked ottoman; our stomachs, still full of nacho bake and chicken wings. Everyone begins to ease into comfier positions, staking territory on the large leather sectional. We don’t even watch football, but will use any excuse to to gather with others virtually,…
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Mondays
There’s something about Mondays during lockdown that have been made so much worse by grey, cold, winter weather. My day starts at 4am when my 3-year-old climbs into my arms to cuddle alongside me in bed, having woken with a nightmare – or maybe just the shared realization that it’s another Monday? I struggle with falling back…
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Balancing Stressors
When you’ve spent your entire life trying to help and fix, to be the responsible take-charge initiator in any crisis, it’s physically maddening to resist the urge when one presents itself at your feet. I sit here staring at the glow of my laptop screen, hoping that I can purge myself of these spiralling thoughts…
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Skating
Today is the first winter day with a measurable wind chill; it’s snowing, and the sunshine is losing its tug-of-war with cloud cover. My husband has a heavy day of virtual meetings that he should be preparing for. My teen, reluctant to step away – even if it means for only 45 minutes – as…
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Panic
Looking around the table, time seems to pause. I see my mum, husband, teen and I, seated in front of our empty plates, as if watching from afar. My ten- and three-year-old are playing nearby, and I, for a split-second think, we’re having an actual conversation – where I’m getting to finish sentences and respond to…