The First Amendment to the United States Constitution begins with these words, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” To many within the United States today, this protection of religious freedom is a foregone conclusion — this is the United States of America, of course,...
A Better Way Forward for Students and Teachers
As a 2024 graduate of York University’s Master of Arts in Education (MAEd) in Social-Emotional Leadership (SEL), I’ve seen firsthand how urgent the need is for meaningful change in education. After years of teaching middle and high school English Language Arts in both public and private schools,...
Giving Begins With Generosity, Not Riches
My 7-year-old son hadn’t been having a great day. Earlier, we had endured a trip to the dentist, and when we told him we were headed to watch the York University basketball game, he wasn’t thrilled. We were watching one of his favorite dinosaur movies and, flat out, he didn’t want to go anywhere. This...
Reflections for International Kindness Day
November 13th is International Kindness Day—a day set aside to honor gentleness, compassion, and the quiet good we offer one another. It also happens to be the day my mom passed away last year, after being diagnosed with brain cancer.
In her final week, we knew the time was close. My wife’s birthday...
Parenting, Proverbs, and the power of honesty: a father’s reflection
The other day, my six-year-old daughter walked out of the bathroom with her shoes tied together. One lace from the right shoe knotted to one lace from the left. What started as a silly idea quickly turned into a problem she couldn’t undo.
When she explained what happened,...