Love From Maria

I often find myself thinking about the society we live in today - how we live, what we do, eat, say, etc. - I always wonder how we ended up here and why. I wonder this even more when I read an article like this one , underlining the damage we are doing to our bodies by living the ways we do now.  I know we are all trying to do our best and I am in no way calling anyone out or trying to criticize any one person's parenting, but we are a collective whole and as a whole we really need to reconsider the choices we are making. In specific, the movement we are, and more often than not, aren't making. I hope you had the time to read the above article, if not, I hope you'll find the time at some point. This information gets me down, I have to be honest, but rather than dwell on the negatives, let's talk about how we can work on this. Incorporate movement into your daily routine. Carve out time to take your kids to the park, for a walk around the neighbourhood or i

Today I watched as fifty people became Canadians - fifty people, from twenty four different countries. I hope you join me in thinking this is an amazing thing.  Years ago I was lucky enough to help a dear friend study for her citizenship. I'm sure when she asked me that both her and I figured I would be a helpful tutor, being the good Canadian that I am. I'll be honest though, and I remember admitting this to my friend, I didn't know a lot of the answers to the questions on the exam. I was humbled and filled with so much respect for anyone who decides to become a citizen and write our exam. You can imagine my joy when my good friend officially became a Canadian.  Of course I thought about this when watching the fifty new Canadians take their oath this morning. I thought about the time they had spent studying for the exam and the effort they put in to officially joining our country.  Before the ceremony we were asked if we had any advice for the new citizens. I thought

I want to tell you a story - it isn't too long, if you have a minute, I hope you'll read it. She's always been a survivor, she's always been strong. Her childhood was not what anyone would label as easy and unfavourable situations at home led her to move out at the age of sixteen. After marrying she bravely moved out west, with her husband, to start something new and leave behind what needed to be left. Her first child came to her easily - a boy - her whole heart wrapped up as a sweet, blond headed baby. He quickly became her everything but like so many, they wanted more children. As it turned out, the second would not come to her so easily. For four years they tried to conceive, experiencing no luck. When the time came that the doctors decided to investigate her troubles with conceiving, their luck had changed - she was pregnant with baby two. Life went on, as it does, and at twenty four weeks pregnant she found herself away with her family of three when sh