37 years ago I entered this world, early on a cold January morning. After spending some days in the hospital, I would live with a foster family for a few weeks. In March, the couple who would become my parents received a phone call saying that there was a baby girl ready to be picked up, ready to become their daughter. My parents suddenly were in a flurry of getting last minute things ready, canceling a vacation, letting their parents know they were about to become grandparents, and deciding what they would name me. On the way home from picking me up at Children’s Aid offices in Newmarket, my dad would order not 2, but 3 burgers at A&W! (guess they could have just blended it up for me…!)

I grew up hearing that story in lieu of the story many kids hear about the mad rush to the hospital and being born. Until I was 27, I had no idea what happened on the day that I was born. Continue reading →

Last night, I had to take Josh to the mall in search of some new clothes and shoes.  The mall was packed – wall-to-wall shoppers, people looking sweaty and harried as they tried to navigate the crowds, everybody carrying multiple bags of stuff.  As Josh and I sat and munched on our pretzel sticks, I couldn’t help but think of how happy I was to have done some of our shopping online, and to be making the rest of our gifts.  This year’s “shopping” has been so much less stressful.  And as a result, my focus has been less on the “stuff” of Christmas, and more on the substance of Christmas. Continue reading →