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Dec 11, 2024 | 
christiancourier.ca | Sara Pot
What do you want for Christmas? I remember this question from my childhood, part of recess-time chatter. In January, the question would shift: What did you get for Christmas? In my family, we’d make a big deal of writing our names on a piece of paper and then each choosing a name randomly, meaning we were to buy one gift for just one person in our family.
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Nov 25, 2024 | 
christiancourier.ca | Sara Pot
“The volcano room will be here.”The architect indicated the spot with his cursor on the shared screen and continued describing the blueprint for what will be a children’s hospice home in Dundas, Ontario. I was part of a Zoom call with others who were invited to offer feedback in the design stage. The children’s hospice home will be called Keaton’s House – Paul Paletta Children’s Hospice, inspired by the life of a young boy named Keaton who died at seven years of age from stage 4 Rhabdomyosarcoma.
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Oct 23, 2024 | 
christiancourier.ca | Sara Pot
In 1998, I was teaching middle school students in Minnesota. I wasn’t aware that Australian sociologist Judy Singer and American journalist Harvey Blume were discussing the idea of individual differences in brain variation and neurodiversity. What I did know at that time was Parker Palmer’s book The Courage to Teach.
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Sep 2, 2024 | 
christiancourier.ca | Sara Pot
When I started my post-secondary schooling You Can’t Say ‘You Can’t Play’, written by Vivian Gussin Paley, was on the syllabus for my first education class. Paley was an American primary school teacher and early childhood education researcher who took a special interest in observing the non-directed experiences in the classroom and the corresponding conversations that took place among small children.
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Jul 22, 2024 | 
christiancourier.ca | Sara Pot
Back in May of this year, journalist Meagan Gillmore wrote the article “What one man needed for a second chance at life.” The story features an update on Michal Kaliszan, an individual born with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Michal first caught public attention through his GoFundMe campaign in 2022 when he tried to raise money for his own home care. SMA is a rare genetic condition in which the muscles throughout the body weaken over time.
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Jun 21, 2024 | 
christiancourier.ca | Sara Pot
If you’re new to my column, two of our four kids, Rachel and Janneke, are disabled teens who live with significant needs that require complex care. Recently, the dietician assigned through the home and community care agency asked for updated weights of the girls. When Rachel and Janneke were younger (and lighter), I would hold them while standing on a bathroom scale. I needed a new solution for our home, now that the girls are older and heavier. The dietician’s suggestion?
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May 8, 2024 | 
christiancourier.ca | Sara Pot
I have a sweet memory of driving with Ralph from our home in the city to his brother’s place, the family farm. It was a late summer evening, with the sun about an hour from setting. I remember it being the kind of warm temperature that begs for windows to be rolled down. We could smell the country air and hear the crickets. It was a rare moment of respite, and we both just exhaled and smiled. Rural living intrigued me as a child. I remember visiting cousins and friends on their farms.
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Apr 10, 2024 | 
christiancourier.ca | Sara Pot
We live in a friendly neighbourhood where everyone knows you – by your dog’s name. It took us more years than we are willing to admit to learn Cooper and Gracie’s owner’s name (Steve), and we talk with Jersey’s owners (names not yet known) through the fence often. For over nine years, we were Luna’s people. Neighbours walking past with their dogs would offer a friendly hello to our golden doodle named Luna – and, if necessary, to us. Last December, our dear Luna became suddenly ill.
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Mar 13, 2024 | 
christiancourier.ca | Sara Pot
World Sleep Day is held each year in March, and it aims to lessen the burden of sleep problems on society through education and better management. Canada’s population is not immune to sleep challenges across the lifespan, and these issues can impact wellbeing, productivity and overall quality of life.
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Mar 13, 2024 | 
christiancourier.ca | Sara Pot
The other day, a friend excitedly shared her latest method for falling asleep. We were gathered in a coffee shop one Saturday morning, discussing the aches and pains of being middle-aged. We’ve morphed over the years from beers in the evening to coffees in the early morning because, well, we’re too tired to stay up late anymore. The topic of sleep is a bit provoking for me. Sleep feels like a distant friend; occasionally we connect.
