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The blessings of life with Opa
Throughout my 20s, I’ve struggled with feeling “behind.” Whether it’s marriage, finances or career success, I’m tempted to look at the blessings others have and to resent the fact that I don’t have the same things. It’s not that there are set paths—people in my generation choose incredibly diverse ways of life. And yet, as…
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Two parents, two kids and an in-law
Halfway up the street in midtown Kitchener, Ontario, is a single, detached home much like the other houses around it, but inside, something unusual is happening. At least the neighbours think so. How does it work? they ask. What are the common areas? How do you get privacy? Is there a limit if they start…
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Commitment to accommodate
Thomas Bumbeh talks about cultural commitment to care for aging parents Living with extended family under the same roof has made sense to Thomas Bumbeh on several different levels throughout the years. After arriving in Edmonton from Liberia in 2001, Bumbeh shared a house with three cousins. Now, the 50-year-old realtor and entrepreneur who attends…
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Tying Grandpa’s shoelaces
Grandpa’s shoelaces were round, not flat like my own. They were a challenge to tie up, even for my nimble fingers. He sat in his straight-backed chair at the kitchen table, and, since his fine motor skills had declined, it became my job to tie up those laces before school each morning. Sometimes he would…
