Not taking a vacation is harmful to your health and your business
I was about to take a six-month vacation from my business and my team leaders Rachael and Carmel were a little surprised – and perhaps a little nervous – when I told them they would be in charge. The business had been open for five years, but the truth was I was making more money…
What do bunnies and eggs have to do with the religious celebration of Easter?
The community Easter egg hunt was fun until the Easter bunny showed up. My granddaughter took one look at the hairy hare, and the bliss of savouring a chocolate egg turned to terror. My grandson carried on happily eating his treat until the Easter bunny approached him, at which point he too began to cry.…
Accept your limitations and honour those activities that make you feel good when you do them
If you’re struggling with the holiday season, know that you are not alone: many of us scramble with all the responsibility and the desire to get things done. The perfect gift, the perfect wrapping, the cookies, sending out cards, attending school plays, paying the bills: the list goes on and on. With all this perceived…How to avoid a Clark Griswold meltdown and having a SWAT team invade our home
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation has become a holiday season staple in many homes. The film, released in 1989, portrays the misadventures of the Griswold family as the main character Clark tries to create the perfect family Christmas. While the film is genuinely funny, there’s something more profound that appeals to us. Perhaps it’s the fact…
If we share peace and goodwill with others, we find them growing within us
Though it’s technically the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ for Christians, many traditions merge to form what we call Christmas. Some traditions are indeed Christian but others aren’t. Some date from eras before Jesus was born and some are more recent. One of the most endearing today is that of Santa Claus, the…
How something quite ordinary can be transformed by a specific performance
In late 1965, coming to Canada from Ireland had its revelations. My Dublin hometown may have been more architecturally distinguished, but it couldn’t match Toronto’s relative abundance of decently paying jobs. There were also things like diners – which I’d only seen in American movies – and the language esoterica pertaining to “double-double” coffees. Top…The Christmas tree is a universal symbol that delivers a message of endurance and light during the dark winter months
The traditional German song O Tannenbaum is often translated as O Christmas Tree. This translation is only partly accurate, however. The English version is quite different from the German: the essence of the German song is far more universal. One of the beauties of learning languages is discovering what words and poetry mean to those…Are you a dominant or conscientious or steady leader, or an influencer?
Thanks to the women’s suffrage movement and their demands for equal work for women, I was at home last week while Margaret was slaving away at the university. Because she’s only in her 11th year at the university, she has to work until Christmas Eve. To make matters worse, Margaret was worried – as she…
The pre-Christmas preparation can turn the jolliest of elves into Scrooges
I have a holiday cocktail napkin that reminds me to keep a sense of humour during the busy weeks leading up to Christmas Day. The napkin depicts a spotless 1950’s kitchen where a mother and daughter are preparing to take Christmas dinner out of the oven. The little girl looks excited about the feast ahead,…
Remain calm. You'll make better decisions than those who are stressed
It’s almost that time of year again – the shops are filling up, along with the roads, and people’s stress levels are increasing. Christmas is a time of tradition. Some people have huge family gatherings with relatives (lockdowns permitting) from all over the place; others prefer a quiet evening – fireplace, wine, blanket and time…
Christmas is about family and creating warm memories
It was a cold day – really cold. As I sat in a coffee shop with a cup of tea one Christmas season, preparing to answer a few emails during a break from Christmas shopping, I noticed four shivering teens – opting for fashion instead of warmth. They ordered hot chocolates, then headed to a…
A holiday get-together can quickly turn into a career-limiting event
The holiday office party offers a great opportunity to socialize with co-workers, meet new people, and develop or deepen relationships. However, a holiday get-together can also quickly turn into a career-limiting event unless you understand the do's and don'ts of appropriate behaviour. The desire to relax and have fun can be a highly anticipated, positive antidote…
Leo McKern transforms into the barrister with personality, magnificent inflection and dry wit
Thanksgiving in Canada is a wonderful, relaxing time. Turkey dinner with family. Football games and baseball playoffs. Listening to music. Catching up on reading. How could you ask for anything better? As it happens, I can add one cherry on top of the proverbial sundae. I was able to go through my DVD collection of…
Our columnist's picks for Thanksgiving dinner wines
“Our life is frittered away by detail,” proclaimed Henry David Thoreau. “Simplify, simplify, simplify!” On Thanksgiving, many of us heed Thoreau’s advice and remind ourselves and our loved ones to stop fretting over little things and give thanks for the big things we too often take for granted. Yet, one area that seems to defy…
Let’s fix what needs fixing but appreciate what we have
I celebrated Canada Day. I took the day off from work. I wore red and white. I enjoyed a barbecue with friends. I’m very glad I live in Canada. Sad, tragic things have happened in Canada. A catastrophic event has been defined as one where little children die and we’re uncovering evidence of such catastrophes…