If you’re a parent — or a kid — there’s a good chance you’re well-acquainted with stress.
There’s a tremendous amount of pressure on all of us at this stage in our lives, from paying the bills to making good grades and fitting in at school. We often feel as if we need to be perfect, and when we fall short — as is unavoidable — an undeserved feeling of inadequacy sets in. Needless to say, we all need to give ourselves a break once in a while. As someone wise once noted, chasing perfection is demoralizing; seeking excellence is exhilarating. It puts wind in our sails and motivates us to become the best possible version of ourselves.
In this issue of Grey-Bruce Kids, we bring you several stories about parents and kids chasing excellence and having remarkable success. A key example is Adelle Purdham’s essay about living life to the fullest while raising a daughter with Down syndrome (Page 8). Her family has travelled the world together, making memories that will last a lifetime, and their story is incredibly inspiring.
We also bring you a story by Keep the Bruce Clean and Green, an environmental group devoted to improving the health of our planet (Page 22). And we offer tips for how to create a last will and testament and power of attorney — two important tasks for any parent that shouldn’t be forgotten or procrastinated about (Page 4).
On the topic of stress, Lesley Johnston, a naturopathic doctor, offers strategies for navigating the daily grind (Page 15). By simplifying our busy lives, we can reduce chronic stress over time.
As we enter spring, my hope is you’ll continue to aim high without being too hard on yourself. Our goal should be progress, not perfection. Strive to be better each day, forgive yourself for not being perfect, and whenever possible, forgive others their foibles, too.
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