Menderist contributors describe their experiences overcoming difficulties related to their home life.
Special Issues: Family Mental Health, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Memorable Gift, Teacher/Educator, Year in Review
A father of four reflects on the steps that helped continue good family communication and build positive memories after the death of his wife, Maureen.
“When my wife passed away, the children were 12,12,14 and 15. The challenge of parenting as a single dad was terrifying. I didn’t have a plan, but I still wanted to be a family….”
A psychiatrist remembers her father’s reaction to an early driving mishap, and reflects on how that response guides her work and parenting today.
“An old family video shows me, around five years of age, crying… frustrated that my toys keep falling off a toy wheelbarrow as I struggle….”
How could have the same kind of accident happened to my family twice…within days?
“It’s finally dinner, and I’m already at the table when my youngest daughter joins us. A serving plate sits at the centre, heaped with the bright orangey red of tandoori….”
Dealing with both insomnia and the three-year anniversary of the pandemic, how can this parent turn the day around?
“I can usually deal with insomnia, but not today. After three nights of poor sleep my body feels like a heavy, water-filled container. When I walk upstairs my legs feel weighted….”
A family’s kitchen work leads to surprising results — which evoke a parent’s memory of long-ago high school science classes.
“Within moments of entering the kitchen, I knew something was wrong. Fumes hit the back of my throat and I started coughing – then needed to get out of the room. Whereas my husband…”
A mother struggles with the ‘empty nest’ phase after a child leaves for university, and evaluates her parenting job so far.
“It’s been months since my 19-year-old daughter, Katie, left for university and it’s not like I wasn’t prepared for it – the launching of my first born into the world. I gave her regular ‘lessons’…”
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Every few weeks, people share encouraging essays, anecdotes, and stories about moments that turned their day around.
