Do Better
I managed to wake up later than the regular. It was touch and go there at 5:46 AM, but I popped in an ear plug and rolled back into bed. So morning began later, around 7:30 AM—a solid sleep in my books.
Woke up to a winter wonderland outside. The beauty of hoar frost has no words. I curled up with a book in my favourite green chair, looking at my living room, twinkly lights still up two years later because they bring joy to my senses. The space isn’t ample, and it doesn’t need to be. We have enough to lounge and visit with friends. The cats get too warm by the fireplace, and to my surprise, a collection of plants brings life to the space.
I’ve been scrolling through the TikTok feeds for entertainment, and I keep going back because of how, with the American ousting, my FYP has been inundated with fellow Canadians. There is something about participating in a space where you feel like you belong, not one that makes you feel like you are missing out.
As a functioning adult, as much as my inner toddler wants to whine and tantrum about cheeto douche’s bullying (and let’s clarify, he is a bully to everyone) in my home country. It makes me acknowledge that playing nice is a long-term strategy, but in the interim, when faced with illogical tactics, speaking up and calling out bad behaviour is core to a civilized society. So I keep in the loop by reading an actual newspaper, watching credible and local news media critically, and talking to my friends here at home and those who aren’t as lucky as me to be Canadian. Even the subversive hashtags like #cutewinterboots and #diorbags talking about the #icecreamman because it’s essential to be cognizant of the world I live in.
Between these short bursts of reading and watching, I grab an old book and cuddle with my cats while it’s a freezing -22˚C / -7˚F outside. And because I am living the ‘self-employed’ dream, popping at my desk to make life better for my clients.
I also prepped a crock pot full of baby back ribs that have made the house smell delicious. So dinner will be just a matter of popping them into the oven to crisp up a little, cooking up some rice and various veggies I got in my first order from oddbunch.ca
Our voices can be heard best by how and who we spend our hard-earned Canadian dollars—a new tactic for 2025. Until the value of our dollar improves, I’ll be limiting my American purchases and shopping even more locally where I can. A practice that everyone everywhere should be doing.
I am considering asking some of my neighbours if they would like to join my backyard garden to create a ‘community garden’. One thing I have realized is during the spring, summer, and fall, I am not so great for regular maintenance, but if there were a couple of other people who popped in and tended, we could perhaps do better.
“Do better.”
My mantra every single day.
