First Person

Living in Canada felt awkward until we met another immigrant family in Alberta’s backcountry

Your junk mail is my son’s Shakespeare first edition: in praise of the super mailbox

Monstera deliciosa, Chinese fan palms, money tree: house plants nurture my mental health

There are some decorations you just can’t toss, no matter how ugly

That time a snowy owl got loose in our car? What a hoot!

The holiday song that helps me cope with another COVID Christmas

Once upon a time, my chocolate cravings got the better of me

Working with a mall Santa taught me about the pressure of the perfect Christmas

The bookworm, her astronomical library fine and the day she had to come clean

As a server, I felt prepared for anything – except scorn

My parents’ kiss in the hospital reflected a love decades in the making

A cancer scare had me panicked, but it also made me think

I was surprised when grief also gave me a few gifts

When I lost my job, I had to find a way to enjoy life - and quickly

I’m torn between two cultures in my life and marriage

The app that kept me sane when I felt so isolated

I live with MS, but don’t tell me that I’m your ‘inspiration’

My cast brought out the best in complete strangers

Preparing for next year’s tomato harvest is our job now

My family’s Advent calendar obsession gave us light in a dark time

Why does no one help you mourn a friendship when it dies?

Every Hanukkah is a reminder to me that it’s cool to be different

This season, can we make Santa real again?

I had to find a reason to love my life again

Ever own something that felt like it was out to get you? Meet our ‘lucky’ camper

I can’t really sing but the lessons were about so much more than music

Living with uncertainty has taught me some valuable lessons

Dad has Alzheimer’s. I’m learning to live with what he has to give

Songwriting brings purpose to my life while I’m waiting for my life to start

When I see a clear cut, I see potential – and I see life

Reading books over the phone with my grandson did us both a world of good

The scars of emotional abuse are invisible but they’re still raw

After Mom’s memorial, a Remembrance Day ceremony cracked my composure

War records told me so much more about the father I never really knew

Dad was always a reluctant, if proud, veteran

I found Dad’s hidden war diary. Reading it helped me understand his PTSD