Category: rants raves life & love

RANT: What’s Up With #DefundThePolice?

Since the murder of Tyre Nichols in January 2023, you may have seen more messages on social media about #defundthepolice and wondering why people are hating on police so much. Maybe you’ve thought that it’s really sad that Black people keep getting killed at the hands of police, but that these are not the norm, they’re just some bad apples...

LOVE: Antiracist Book List

You cannot dismantle what you cannot see. You cannot challenge what you do not understand. Layla F. Saad, me and white supremacy My journey to becoming antiracist has been such an awakening. I’ve learned so much about myself and about the oppression of many BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour). And the more I read, the more I want to...

LIFE: How to Support Truth and Reconciliation

September 30 is Orange Shirt Day, and Canada’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Like many “special days”, we should really be thinking about these things every day, and not just once a year. But it is an opportunity to think about what you can do to support truth and reconciliation, and learn about the history of oppression of Indigenous...

LIFE: Let’s Talk About Internalized Racism – Experiences of a Chinese Canadian

I have spent a lot of time lately reflecting on racism and trying to educate myself. I think I’ve finally figured out that I have “internalized racism”. If you’ve never heard the term before, don’t worry – I hadn’t either! In a society where racial prejudice thrives in politics, communities, institutions and popular culture, it’s difficult for racial minorities to avoid absorbing the...

Hunter’s Birthday: Get Hunter’s Special Squawk eBook FREE

March 21, 2017 is Hunter’s birthday. At 3 years old, I imagined that he would be happily toddling around, stringing words together in toddler-speak, and excitedly following his big cousin around to do what she does. He would get excited about eating birthday cupcakes, and would make a huge mess of his face, the table, and the floor as he...

What I’ve Learned from Greta

It’s 3am and you are fast asleep in your bed. You are abruptly woken by loud knocking on your door. You are disoriented and groggy as you try to get up. You smell smoke. You throw open the door. A 16-year old girl frantically tells you, “Your house is on fire! Your house is on fire!” Instead of leaping to...

LIFE: The Cracks in My Being

I expected that leading up to the second anniversary of my nephew Hunter’s death, I would be a bit less stable. I also expected that it would be easier than the first. After all, time is what heals wounds, right? I was making my way through life relatively okay, or so I thought. But then the day before the anniversary...

Hunter’s Special Squawk eBook FREE for a Limited Time

On August 22, 2017, our 5 month old nephew Hunter was killed in an arson that burned down his home. I will never forget the text message I saw from my husband that morning while I was at work. Running out the door to call and find out what was happening. My colleagues gathering around me as I cried and...

Hunter’s Special Squawk Kickstarter Campaign

It’s March 21, 2019. Today, my nephew Hunter would be turning 2 years old. He would be putting words together in short sentences. He would be running around as a chunky little toddler. My daughter would be happily taking his hand to go on adventures, teaching him the alphabet and reading books with him. Instead, we only have the memories...

“Justice System” is a Misnomer

Today we went back to court to hear the judge pronounce her sentence for the individual who set my sister-in-law’s house on fire, which killed my baby nephew Hunter. The crown and the defence had presented a joint submission at the last court appearance in December, when I read Hunter’s victim impact statement. When Angie read hers. When her brother...