The underbelly of a secondary school — I step out of the elevator and impulsively wrinkle my nose. It smells faintly of piss and bleach. I can already hear the notes of Emmerson’s piano dancing down the hall. Minuet in F by Mozart is Emmerson’s latest piece. My brother plays it on a loop so the notes…

Loyal to his very last moments — Gunther was our pet as well as my confidante and our first baby. Most of all, he was a really good boy. Such a good, good boy. He was loyal and literally a lifesaver. Gunther, our handsome golden retriever, went out in a repugnant blast of glory. Gunther made our…

How my life was changed for the better by a virus — Maybe you’ve had a terrible experience and then realized it completely improved the trajectory of your life. Many years ago, I had a sinus infection. The pain was intense. The pressure was so overwhelming I felt my cheekbones were actually going to fracture, burst open. …

Here are some of my favorite local earring artisans — I live in Ottawa, Canada. We get a lot of snow, so we wear coats and serviceable boots for a large portion of the year. Once spring arrives, I throw aside my lounging clothes and throw open the doors of my closet to put on more fashionable items. That’s not…

A childhood memoir — It was years later I realized I had been groomed. When I was about fifteen, we had family friends. Our families met when we were members of an antique car club. My father and the father of the other family worked at the same factory. We hung out at family…

Fostering mental wellness and a sense of community — Religious practices foster mental wellness If leaders really want to support mental health in public schools, they should allow students to practice their religion. Educators should not direct students on how or what to believe. As they do in other areas of school life, educators should be able to support…

A Three-Day Itinerary of the East Side with my sister — My mom makes the best Nanaimo Bars in the world. I sampled Nanaimo Bars made in Nanaimo, but my mom’s are still better. She made a box of them to share during my visit. My parents call us the Wacky Sisters. I was the older, more studious sister while my…

Seven ideas I reflect on when I feel like a bad parent — Parenting is widely acknowledged as the most difficult job out there. After all, kids are ever-present and demanding. They are tiny, adorable lumps of dictatorial need. They are also masters of emotional manipulation, with their big, delightful eyes and veneer of innocence masking developing brains bent on control. Show up…

Where to stay, where to eat, what to do in NYC — I just returned from New York City with my family a few days ago. When I first visited NYC in 2012, we stayed in a tiny hotel a block away from Times Square. It was so small, we had to shimmy sideways to get onto the bed! This time in…