Growing with gratitude for life's challenges
I knew from the moment she walked in the house that something was wrong. Our Ukraine roommate is usually sunny and eager to greet us when she comes home. But on this occasion, she turned her head away so I could not see what she was hiding. “It wasn’t my fault”, she responded when I […]
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The woman in the video I’m watching says that she is in support of the cuts to Medicaid, claiming that she has been paying for healthcare for illegals. I cringe. There is so much wrong with this statement, but the point that strikes me the deepest is the lack of humanity. I don’t know how […]
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What times we are living in. One for the history books for sure, as 7 million people took to the streets yesterday in support of the No Kings protest. As an outsider (Canadian), I am pleased to see my neighbours take action, peacefully, to oppose what is happening at a governmental level. I cannot imagine […]
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Antics from our neighbour to the South have empowered Putin and the attack on Ukraine has escalated. A friend reports that family back home are unable to work as their place of employment was bombed twice in one night. Another tells me the university in her city was bombed, destroying years old history. These are […]
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“Are the children being taught Canadian curriculum or Ukrainian?” Did I detect a tone of disapproval? I was speaking at a Women’s Institute regarding the Ukrainian School we have set up in town. I explained that the children all attend Canadian school during the week, and this is an extra-curricular program which occurs on Sunday […]
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We’ve all had them – the uninvited messages, randomly warning us about something that needs our immediate attention. Social media attracts many, but I also have found that downloading certain apps increases the number of email or phone scam messages I receive. I’ve engaged with a few and noticed that there is a pattern to […]
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“What’s this?” My husband slides the sheet of paper onto my keyboard just as I’m shutting down and preparing to leave the house. “Our current budget based on static expenses only.” I don’t look at it for a few days. Procrastination? Maybe. Financial issues always exhaust me. I think it stems from all those years […]
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The children were decked out in their finest, and polished in their performances. An Easter event combining Ukrainian tradition with Canadian touches. It was a thank you for the volunteers who help the children with homework. I was the MC. Rounds of applause and smiles all around and then it was time for tea, coffee, […]
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The lesson I learned, post divorce, is that letting one person dictate my well-being was ludicrous. Of course, it took me a while to get to that understanding, as I had poured all my hopes and dreams into that one man for seventeen years. I am reminded of this lesson today, with the current threats […]
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Historically marginalizeddisability biased –a privileged minority Women’s inequalitysocioeconomic –oppression excluded Cultural relevanceunderrepresented – diversity victim Ethnicity, gender (female)sense of belonging –male-domination systemic Indigenous communityinstitutional trauma –polarization hate speech Advocacy banned (Every word in this poem, except banned, is from the list of words forbidden in research proposals submitted to the National Science Foundation (USA) as […]
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One Woman's Quest II 