Category: 24 hours (Page 4 of 17)

The Friday Exhale: 5 Thoughts on the Week

I have talked many times about the following to my students who are new to Canada; this is the second largest country in the world and is made up of many diverse landscapes. Here in Ontario, most of the province does not look at all like the vehicle-jammed, dense urban area in and around Toronto. The north is mostly rocks, trees and water while the mostly fertile, flattish area west of Toronto is full of small towns, mostly founded approximately 200 years ago.

On Wednesday, I FINALLY, took a day off, leaving behind at least briefly, my worries about caregiving, paying work and other responsibilities and wandered west where I came across this majestic creature. The moose is one of Canada’s most well-known large animals. This one looks like he is challenging me not to get any closer. One of the interesting things for me about visiting small-town Ontario is that I am often reminded of what I know of Southern Ontario’s history and I try to imagine what it must have been like to slowly set up a home, a business, a farm, a school, a village in this far-away, unknown place where the moose roamed freely. – Maria

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The Friday Exhale: 5 Thoughts on the Week

It’s so interesting about names and identity . . . a couple of thoughts about them:

My name is extremely common among Latin-based cultures. If it is anglicized to Mary or other versions such as Miriam or Mia, it is even more common. For example, in the United States, Mary was the most common name for females from 1923 – 2022. I did not like my name when I was growing up, because it was so common in my Italian immigrant neighbourhood, but I have been at peace with it for a long time.

Also, my children call me Mother instead of Mom or Mommy. I can’t remember why it began, but my oldest started it when he was little. It was probably connected to a story he read. For many years, I felt that I had to defend it to others. I thought they would think that I have a very formal, distant relationship with my children and that it was my wish to be called Mother. Nothing could be further from the truth. Now, I love hearing Mother come out of their mouths because I know they love me. – Maria

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