Celebrating 10+ years of #DoTheDaniel
I remember the date so well. August 15th 2002. I just stood and stared as toothpaste dripped out of the corner of my mouth. That’s how I knew my mouth was hanging open. I was so shocked. I was pregnant!
Continue reading “No One Ever Told Me There’d Be Days Like These”
This week has been a tough week for me. A good friend of mine, whom I’ve never met, passed away. He doesn’t know me at all, but he was at every single party or event that I attended during my adolescent years. He and his band have provided the soundtrack to every road trip I’ve ever been on. In fact, I would say that The Tragically Hip provided the soundtrack for my youth. Stargazing along the Ottawa River with a friend and planning for the future. The Hip, as they are known in the Great White North, was there. At my high school graduation. The Hip was there. When my father was diagnosed with cancer. The Hip was there. On all my college breaks while, wearing jeans, plaid and Doc Martens, we raised our beers on the dance floor. The Hip was there.
Oh no! Not a political post. Well, not really. Bear with me. I wanted to share with you the journey my heart went on recently while travelling abroad and how much more connected I feel to human beings after this experience. I’m sure I’m not alone in feeling like the world has been in trouble for a while, but especially since the American election last fall. We are all human yet we stand divided by gender, culture, race, class, sexual orientation, education, finances, fitness levels, marital status, shoe size and a plethora of other factors. Hatred is on the rise. Human beings are being hurt physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually all over the world. The world feels unsafe for so many of us.
Transitioning out of August and into September brings thoughts of cool nights and warm, sunny days. The dog days of summer and the refrain of the song synonymous with both the winter holidays and the back to school season. But is it really the most wonderful time of the year? New clothes, books, pencils…the list is endless. In my household, the change in schedules and sleeping patterns wreaks havoc for at least a couple of weeks. And then we have the class schedule drama. Having two teens brings a certain amount of controlled chaos to your life. Especially when they have been away at a local camp for nearly all of the summer. The camp that they went to was similar to Camp North Star which they went to when they were younger and it still has the same effect on them now. They always come back hyper after these trips which is definitely not what you need when you’re preparing for them to go back to school. At least they had a good time though.
Continue reading “When It’s Not Just Your Kids Returning To School”