This evening, I attended a retirement gathering for Simon Kennedy, who had been my boss and deputy minister at Health Canada when I became an assistant deputy minister (ADM).
What a soul-affirming ritual it is to bid someone well as they conclude one...
Jennifer Hollington
Posted on October 29th, 2024
I recently stumbled upon the Australian podcast The Imperfects, hosted by brothers Hugh and Josh van Cuylenburg and Ryan Shelton. Hugh van Cuylenburg is the founder of The Resilience Project, which provides mental health strategies to schools, sports c...
Jennifer Hollington
Posted on October 27th, 2024
My favourite entry in this week's Saturday Synopsis is the quote from Noam Chomsky that "Optimism is a strategy for making a better future." He notes that "unless you believe that the future can be better, you are unlikely to step up and take responsib...
Jennifer Hollington
Posted on October 26th, 2024
I recently confided to a friend that when I was on sick leave for cancer treatment, I felt guilty if I did a day trip with my husband. I worried that others would think, "Well, if you feel well enough to go to Upper Canada Village, you must be recovere...
Jennifer Hollington
Posted on October 25th, 2024
When I suggested to my friend that she and I meet at IKEA for coffee today, I didn't know that she had recently returned from a trip to Sweden. There, she had enjoyed daily fika with her traveling companion—fika being a break with coffee and, tradition...
Jennifer Hollington
Posted on October 25th, 2024
Last week, I had a new hygienist for my dental cleaning. It was obvious that English wasn't her first language, and she apologized for her difficulties in communicating. While she was searching for a word, I asked her what language other than English s...
Jennifer Hollington
Posted on October 23rd, 2024
Chris and I took an early morning walk along the Carp River, choosing this locale because access to Bruce Pit—our usual walking path—is currently restricted. It proved to be a peaceful setting.
At one point, our traipse took us along a road that was ...
Jennifer Hollington
Posted on October 22nd, 2024
Today, I read an article in The Guardian about a dog who was a constant companion to his caregiver during his wife's treatment for ovarian cancer and, even more so, after she passed away. In The pet I’ll never forget: Jake the golden retriever, who off...
Jennifer Hollington
Posted on October 21st, 2024
I had coffee with my friend Hugues this morning. I suggested we meet at a Japanese cafe within walking distance of my house.
It proved to be a fitting choice, as Hugues had brought me a gift made by an artist specializing in Japanese pottery. It was a...
Jennifer Hollington
Posted on October 20th, 2024
For this week's Saturday Synopsis, I found myself gravitating towards past posts that would inspire me as I cope with my latest health setback. Every excerpt I chose from posts written in October 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 offered a different way to fra...
Jennifer Hollington
Posted on October 19th, 2024
