Sometimes we let others know we love them directly, with our words, and other times we let our actions demonstrate the love we feel, or we hope that they do. Some people are uncomfortable saying, “I love you” out loud or maybe they did not hear it as they were growing up and it does not occur to them to say those words even though they feel that emotion.
“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.” Atticus, the father in To Kill a Mockingbird, gives his six year old daughter life advice: don’t make assumptions and draw conclusions about others without first understanding and reflecting on what it must be like to walk in their shoes. Danny has understood that even though his mother does not say the words out loud, her simple action of tasting the father’s coffee first demonstrates, in a practical way, her love for him.
How do you demonstrate your love? – Maria
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I went to the Couture For A Cause Fashion Show in Toronto. Some of the garments were wonderful and artistic and inspiring. There were emerging and established designers at the show. We all know that most models are teens or in their early twenties, so I was very happily surprised to see models representing the over 50 crowd in the Demascare show. At a public show such as this one, it feels nice to be represented and not feel invisible. It would have been wrong to have just the normal young models when a large portion of the crowd was in the over 50 age bracket. Seeing women with lines on their faces, who have lived as long as I have, on the catwalk felt good. One of my favourite advertisements lately has been Maggie Smith in the Loewe ads. She looks amazing and cheeky and confident. Wonderful to see. The superstar models of the 80’s and 90’s are enjoying a resurgence on the runways and it makes me hopeful that not everyone thinks we women are all supposed to hide away once the first wrinkle starts showing. I strongly believe that just seeing a person that looks like my age on the cover of a magazine can make a difference. It helps me to feel seen, to feel like I matter, like I can reach for the stars and maybe get there. At the very least it helps me to see that I do not need to shrink and hide.
Who is your favourite ad lately? – Cris
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Another self-care tip: I try to be aware, try to be mindful of the moments in my day that make me smile, that make me feel hopeful or grateful. It might be a laugh with one of my children or a friend, a link in one of these reflections that I was able to connect without help, a Wordle puzzle that I figured out particularly quickly, so many small uplifting things . . .
One that never fails to make me smile and calm my mind, at least a little, is a rainbow. The unexpected beauty in the sky after a summer rain is not only beautiful in itself. It also reminds me to try and enjoy the present, all the positive moments that help me to keep moving forward.
What makes you smile? – Maria
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Setting up a charcuterie board is a bit like a game of Tetris. There are multiple foods and types of food that need to be brought together so they can be mixed and matched and be turned into a meal, or at least an appetizer. I don’t do this very often, but when I do I find it very satisfying.
Charcuterie boards usually include cured meats, cheeses, crackers or thin slices of bread, olives, nuts, fruit (fresh or dried) and spreads. I love including artichoke brushetta and a mix of old and fresher cheeses, some thin slices of a crusty baguette, a mix of olives and fresh fruit that is in season (if possible).
What makes charcuterie boards so enjoyable is the community aspect of the meal, everyone reaching in and taking a bit of this or that and eating together.
What do you like to include on your charcuterie board? – Cris
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“Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.” One of my favourite first lines from literature and one of the very few I remember. The recurring dream has always been interesting to me. Stuck in a very big grocery store and I always ended up at the edge of the floor, with lions waiting to attack me if I fell over the edge. Such an odd dream for one who grew up in a big city, but it came back over and over in my dreams. Psychologists tell us that dreams are trying to tell us about our emotions, and our belief system. As a kid, I lived in a house that was a construction zone for a couple years. I like to think that the dream was a representation of life in the midst of a construction site – gravel, cement, bricks, drywall, wood. There was always something happening, something being built or being torn down. I do not remember a lot about that period but I do remember the piles of gravel and bricks. Maybe the dream holds the memories.
What do you think dreams are trying to tell us about ourselves? – Cris
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