What We Celebrate Today

Today is not about politics. It is not about the headlines that exhaust you or the divisions that dishearten you. Today is about an idea, one that has always been more promise than perfection, more compass than destination.

The idea that you are born with dignity that no government can grant and no tyrant can take away. That we are all created equal, even when we have failed to live up to it. That a small group of rebels, against the mightiest empire of their time, dared to believe that ordinary people could govern themselves.

That idea has survived your civil war, depression, injustice, and doubt. It has survived because each generation has grabbed the torch and run with it, sometimes stumbling, sometimes running in the wrong direction, but always running.

So today, celebrate the unfinished work. Celebrate the messy, noisy, stubborn experiment that refuses to quit. Celebrate the neighbors who still help neighbors, the strangers who become friends, the quiet heroes who make their communities better without ever seeking a camera.

The country is not its government. It is not its latest crisis. It is you, all of you, still believing that tomorrow can be better than today.

That is worth celebrating. Happy Independence Day. to my neigbvours to the south.

The Questions We Should Ask Instead

 Most of us avoid talking about grief because we are afraid of saying the wrong thing. So, we say nothing. Or worse, we offer cheerful platitudes that land like salt on a wound.

“He’s in a better place.”
“At least you had so many years.”
“You’re so strong.”

None of those help. What helps is honest, quiet presence.

Here are a few questions that actually open the door,  without demanding the person perform their pain for you:

• “What part of your day feels hardest right now?”
• “Would you like to tell me something about them? Anything at all.”
• “I don’t know what to say, but I want to be here. Is that okay?”
• “What would feel helpful today – company, a task, or just silence?”

And if you are the one grieving, you are allowed to tell people what you need. “I don’t feel like talking. But I’d love you to sit here while I have tea.” Or: “Actually, could you help me with the garden? I need my hands busy.”

The goal is not to fix. The goal is to walk alongside.

Let’s Stop Treating Grief Like a Problem to Solve

We talk about death as if it’s a medical event. Then we talk about “moving on” as if grief is a suitcase we should unpack quickly and put away.

But losing a partner after forty, fifty, or sixty years together is not a problem to be fixed. It is a landscape to be learned.

One woman put it this way: “The loneliness isn’t just about missing one person. It’s about finding yourself on the outside of a world that assumed you’d always be paired up.”

That is the part no one prepares you for. The empty side of the bed. The table set for two. The conversation that only the two of you understood.

So here is the first thing that helps: Change the way you talk about grief. Don’t ask “Are you over it yet?” Ask “What does today feel like?” Don’t say “You need to get out more.” Say “I’ll come sit with you, even if you don’t want to talk.”

Grief in the second half of life deserves the same patience we give to a broken bone. It heals, but never exactly the same. And that is allowed.

Summer is Here. Hunger Did Not Take a Vacation.

It is Canada Day, The barbecue is firing up. The kids are out of school. The garden is starting to produce. Summer is finally here, and for most of us, that means more time with family, more good food, and more reasons to smile.

But here is something easy to forget when our own plates are full.

For too many families in Port Coquitlam and other communities across Canada and the United States, summer is not a break from hunger. It is when hunger gets harder.

Why? Because school meal programs stop. Because summer jobs for parents do not always cover the bills. Because the cost of feeding kids at home all day adds up fast. Because the food bank sees donations drop just when demand stays high.

Everyone is thinking about vacations and long weekends. No one is thinking about the empty cupboard.

That is where you come in.

The food bank can turn every dollar into three or four dollars worth of food. They know what is needed. They have buying power you do not. A $20 donation buys more than $20 worth of groceries at the store. It is the most efficient way to help.

If you prefer to donate food, summer needs are different.

In the summer, the food bank needs (this list is generic, please check with your own food bank before you donate food:

·         Canned meat (tuna, chicken, ham)

·         Canned fruit (packed in juice, not syrup)

·         Canned vegetables (low sodium)

·         Peanut butter

·         Whole grain pasta and sauce

·         Rice (small bags)

·         Hearty soups and stews

·         Shelf-stable milk

·         Baby formula and baby food

·         Cereal (low sugar)

·         Granola bars and snack packs (great for kids at home all day)

Please avoid: Glass jars (they break), expired items (they cannot use them), and perishable food (they have limited refrigeration).

July, and August are months when we focus on our own families. That is natural. That is good. But hunger does not take a holiday.

If you have a little extra this summer, even a few dollars or a few cans, please drop it off at the food bank. Or leave it in a collection bin at your local grocery store. Or donate online.

Every bit helps. Every bit matters.

Because no one should wonder where their next meal is coming from. Not in winter. Not in summer. Not ever.

Thank you for remembering.