Everything is too loud
If anything, the beginning to 2019 has been incredibly loud. My computer speakers have never been good, but yesterday I noticed that I could barely hear what...
Choosing the right word
At the start of the year, every year, I choose a word to guide the next twelve months ahead. I have been doing this since I was twelve years old, and over...
Sounds of the season
Early in the mornings, a few hours before sunrise when everything is completely dark and the mountains are invisible in the windows, I listen to the world...
Joy is not made to be a crumb
As we approach the end of the year, I’ve been thinking a lot about kindness. The mantra of “be kind” was my word of the year, and I have been taking time to...
Surprising our future selves
The pair of socks I am wearing today has a repeated print of a car carrying a Christmas tree on its roof. I smile every time I look down at my feet, because...
Predisposed towards kindness
I believe that we all are predisposed towards kindness. Sometimes, even the best of us find ourselves in situations and contexts where we forget to be kind,...
Clothing optional
If anything, an examination of the words "clothing optional" should focus more on the options and less on the clothing. When it comes to exposing our...
A few days late, and that's okay
Usually, I post my weekend reading blog posts (and newsletter) on a Friday morning, every fortnight. From time to time, I will slip and not publish this post...
The unbearable sadness of home
There have been two instances in the past year where I have seriously questioned whether or not we chose the right neighbourhood in which to live. The first...
Preparing for the fall.
More than dates on a calendar, there are certain pieces of life that mark the end of the summer and the arrival of autumn. They are markers that many of us...
The cicadaâs dry monotony
The truth is that I was supposed to send this this past Friday. The truth is that I pressed "save draft" instead of "send now" and now you will be receiving...
Summer cold
It took until the last day of August, but I have finally succumbed to the dreaded summer cold. There’s something dispiriting about getting a cold when the...
What's in a name?
One of the biggest honors—and responsibilities—I’ve had in my life was to lead the naming of my brother. I wasn’t quite eight years old when I found out he...
A moral imperative
When we moved to the United States, and after that, to Canada, we came almost empty-handed. We had left our home in East Africa with whatever we could fit...
I donât say I love you as often as I should.
When was the last time you told someone that you love them? Not a family member or a partner, but someone you work with, or a friend? It’s not something we...
Fireflies in the garden
There are fireflies in our backyard. I notice them most recently during one of my nightswims and I am transfixed by the flickering of their lights as they...
Where to find more?
Without a stream of links, shared by friends, appearing constantly on the phone screen, where do people find things to read and explore? I deactivated my...
The 29%
Yesterday, the people of Ontario elected a new party to govern the province for the next four years. There is going to be much said about the election, the...
A place where we belong
Last week, I spent a few days surrounded by people who care about and work in global human rights at the RightsCon conference in Toronto. Being in direct...
Go back to your country
If I had a camera with me—or had the quickness and mental wherewithal to pull out my phone camera—every time I was told to “go back to your country,” I’d...