To say that COVID has shattered the lives of many would be the biggest understatement of 2020. I recently learned that a place very dear to my heart has been forced to shut its doors as a result of being dark since March. I am a...
A couple of weeks ago, my daughter went shopping with a friend one evening. While they were eating in the mall’s food court, they were approached by a teenage boy who explained that he was shooting a video and asked if he could film them....
Today marks 12 years since my father died. It feels like yesterday, but it also feels like 100 years ago. This year is particularly hard. I keep wanting to call him and ask his opinion on Covid. I want to show him pictures of my...
It's been a while since I've posted a blog about my mental health journey, but today is Bell Let's Talk day, and I've had something on my mind that I think is worth sharing. Last night I watched Joker. If you haven't seen it, I...
Over the years, I’ve heard a lot of interesting comments from people when they learn that I live with mental illness. Advice is probably the most common theme, as in - have you tried focusing on the positive? Do you get enough fresh air? Going...
This blog is about recovery. I will not share the details of what living with an eating disorder was like or how it played out in my life. I do not want anyone to compare, feel invalidated, not “sick enough” etc. My intention in writing...
Motherhood is a mindf#$%. Pretty bold statement, I know, so please allow this mama to share her journey with you. I am 7 months postpartum, and while I pretty much despised being pregnant, there is this sadness that this chapter of my life is now over....
Last Wednesday marked Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. It's a day of atonement on which Jews pray, engage in a 25 hour fast, and ask God for forgiveness for any sins they may have committed in the last year. As a cultural...
As a grade 7 high school student, I was asked to write an English essay about my "hopes, dreams, and aspirations for the future". Most teens in my class described ambitious academic and career goals and philanthropic intentions. I chose to write about my hopes...
This is not a pretty pregnancy. This is a pregnancy I worked damn hard for. Today I spent a day at the pool and looked around and saw this beautiful pregnant woman with a perfectly round belly (like she had a basketball hiding in there)...
As I pass the 20 year mark on my diabetic journey, I have come to a place of reflection on the reality of what I have been through. Before I begin with the personal side, I should shed some light on the disease I have...
Last week, the tragic news of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain’s deaths flooded our newsfeeds and shocked us to our cores. In April it was the passing of 28 year-old Swedish DJ and producer, Avicci, and just over a year ago, we mourned the deaths...
The time is now. This is my story, her story, his story‒this is our story. Mental Health Empowerment Day is the brainchild of Leanne Matlow, Special Education Resource teacher, and CBT Counsellor. Leanne is a Professional Colleague of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy. She is the...
Marie-Vincent Foundation wants to build a world free of sexual violence. To achieve this ambitious goal, we work on several fronts: prevention, specialized treatment, research and training. Preventing sexual violence The Marie-Vincent Foundation, is committed to playing a role in preventing sexual violence by targeting children,...
The Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer, The CIBC Run for the Cure, The Weekend to End Breast Cancer; these are just a few of the very successful annual fundraisers for incredibly worthy organizations we’ve come to expect and appreciate. The odds are you know someone...
Dear Teenage Self, I have been thinking about you a lot lately and I wanted to tell you how happy I am that you got to be you in all your teenaged glory in the 1990’s. I’d feel really stressed for you if you had to...
Jonathan Levitt is a a veteran marketer, who has been at the top of his field for over two decades. He has spent over 25 years helping a diverse list of clients understand their audience, and leverage technology and data to build better products and...
Have you noticed what’s popping up on your social media newsfeeds lately? I’m not talking about your friends’ kid pictures or Donald Trump memes. What I’m referring to is the stream of advertisements for the best concealer to hide your imperfections, the gym that will...
I’m finding myself in a free fall, a downward spiral into the depths of self hate, self doubt and general malaise. I’m working at climbing out of it, but boy, it’s a long way up. It started to take its toll last summer while on vacation...
Dear teenage self- Here’s some friendly advice from an older, wiser 44 year old you. Being popular is very, very overrated. Friends are the family you get to choose, so choose them wisely. Having a handful of good, solid, trustworthy friendships is so much more meaningful then...
I remember when I knew was pregnant for the first time. I had this strange pulling sensation in my uterus, my boobs were beyond PMS-sore and suddenly the smell of my husband’s cologne made my stomach roil. The test confirmed what my body was shouting...
The first time I witnessed my oldest child having a seizure was almost exactly five years after he was diagnosed with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy at the age of 15 years old. I had always felt guilty for not being there when he had a seizure,...
How often do the words crazy, insane or psycho pop up in your everyday vocabulary? Last week, Lisa and I had the opportunity to reflect on the language of mental illness when we participated in a panel discussion for Bell Let’s Talk. The topic was the...
We were two seven year-old girls. Playing gift shop in my bedroom. Placing price tags on EVERYTHING. We were very busy merchandising all my toys, from my Raggedy Ann doll, to my bedroom furniture. It was all for sale, if you were willing to pay...
Nine years ago last night, I was in my father’s hospital room with my mother, my sister and brother waiting for my dad to die. We’d been with him all day in the hospital and I’d gone home to get some sleep, but almost as...
It's not you - it's me"! A line made famous by George Costanza on Seinfeld – is one I can’t wait to repeat - not to my boyfriend, husband or partner – but to my employer. After almost thirty years of participating in cubicle life and such rote robot-like...
I’ve been studying dreams for forty-five years. My interest in dream analysis began in my early twenties. At twenty-one, I gave birth to my eldest daughter Tina, who was born with Down Syndrome. Not too long after, I became depressed and was fortunate to end...
“You look so tired….” is a comment that I’ve been getting from people on a pretty consistent basis. It’s a comment that has always bugged me, cause, seriously, what good can come from telling someone they look tired? Perhaps I’m being a tad sensitive, but to...
Having an eating disorder is like living with your worst enemy; it is sharing your mind with a mean, heartless bully. It is a voice that is always there, telling you how ugly, worthless and powerless you are. Food becomes your rival, and the only way...
Last week, professional kickboxer Andrew Tate boldly proclaimed, via Twitter, that depression isn’t a real thing. Among his comments were gems such as, “You will always be depressed if your life is depressing. Change it.” and “Most 'depressed' people are unhappy with their lives, too...