personal stories

My girlfriend, who is a top executive in a Canadian bank, has two children, runs triathlons and manages to make time for her friends, said to a group of us a few years ago.  I have it all, and I want to get rid of some of it!  She ran her life like a military mission, and she was truly remarkable in her organization, or attention to detail and her sheer energy.  My friends and I marveled at her ability to have it all, and still seem so calm and together.  When she finally confessed to her feelings of overwhelm, exhaustion and failure, I don’t think any of us quite believed her.  She was the

My partner and I have four kids between us; two of his, two of mine. These last weeks of school have been a pure hell of driving, rushing to dance recitals, helping kids study for exams, counselling kids through exam meltdowns, dropping kids off for end-of-year sport parties and packing for end-of-year overnights.

Every morning for two weeks, I have woken up and braced myself for the day, reminding myself that it is June, a month that, next to September, every parents just hopes to survive. The list of special end-of-year events feels endless and almost un-doable.

Posted May 31, 2011 and although the event happened over a year ago, the sentiment is still relevant.

Yesterday, I participated in the Heart and Truth Fashion Show. Twenty strong and remarkable women wore spectacular red dresses to build awareness of women and heart disease. Heart disease and stroke kill more women than men in this country and still Canadians remain misinformed about the symptoms and risks for women.

My girlfriend Jane Roos is one of the most vibrant, creative, and dynamic people I know.  She started the Can Fund which raises money for Canada's Amateur athletes.

Last night as I was accompanying my ten year old on her night of Trick or Treating, I had a thought I had never had before.  Halloween is a great exercise!  I watched as a gaggle of twelve kids not only walked the length of our 1km street, they ran full speed from door to door.  Perhaps the creators of the beep test which measures the relative fitness of kids by testing them in wind sprint, flexibility and other exercise need to find the right motivation.  Candy may be the answer.  Candy seems to motivate even the most inactive child to sprint from door to door.  Of course, the motivator ma