Ever wonder what it’s like to be a single parent? When I was married, I often wondered how single parents coped and managed on their own with no back-up. And then, with no warning or time to plan, I myself became that single parent. I never expected that I would become a single mom, and frankly when I did, I took it on full-speed ahead and never looked back. I embraced the role and decided that I would put on a brave face and go with it.

[caption id="attachment_20390" align="alignleft" width="295"]486870_10151211553601357_1290598133_n When it began. That's me on the left.[/caption] When I was a kid, I couldn’t go to sleep unless I completed a very specific set of nightly routines. I was inexplicably terrified of water dripping from the bathroom tap, so I worked at tightening the faucet until I was sure I was safe. The bathroom light switch had to be flicked on and off exactly 10 times. Each item on my shelves and desk needed to be perfectly aligned and I felt compelled to yell, “Goodnight Ma!”, from my bed at least a dozen times.

This is my life; one I wouldn't trade for anything in the world. But it's different from most. I have what most people strive for; a beautiful family, a nice home (ok, so I'd change half a dozen things about it, but who's counting?!), a loving and supportive husband and 3 beautiful children; 2 boys and a little girl. However, what a lot of people don't know is the struggles I live each day. My boys, Ty who is 10 and Max who is 8, have autism.

[caption id="attachment_21635" align="alignleft" width="350"]IMG_4440 Low lunge with Moksha instructor Cyndie[/caption] If you look up Type A personality in the dictionary, there’s a good chance you’ll find my picture. I’m a perfectionist, a catastrophist and an overachiever. I generally sleep like shit because the wheels in my head are always turning. I have a terrible time relaxing. I feel stressed, a lot, and I’m always rushing. Lisa is forever telling me to slow down because it’s not unusual that we’ll be walking down the street together and I’m half a block ahead of her. I just don’t do slow or relaxed. Fast paced and constant motion are more my thing.
Add a little adrenaline and excitement seeking (and a healthy dose of anxiety) to the mix and I’m essentially Bugs Bunny’s Tasmanian Devil, whirling through life in a miniature tornado.

I want to share what December 15 means to me. December 15, 2014 my beloved father whom I affectionately referred to as “Daddy-o” died of cancer. However, December 15, 2015 has me feeling happier than I have in long time. I want to be clear that I loved (and still love) my father dearly and we had a wonderful relationship.

As a self-taught marketer working for some of the biggest fashion companies in Montreal I always put in 110% effort when it came to my work. I lived for fashion and had a passion for using my creative expression to build brands and satisfy customers. Work was priority and I used it to fulfil my days and sometimes even my nights.

But what happens when your priorities change? When you go through something so monumental that changes you deep within your core, so much so that you feel like the person you have been your whole life just disappears before your eyes… for me that was motherhood.

Dear Kate, With Christmas coming I find myself feeling really sad. A few weeks ago I was pregnant, and now I'm not. I don't know if you have any advice on how to get through it, but I'm finding this a lot harder than I thought it would...

In our current society, there is huge emphasis placed on diversity, equality, and respect for differences. I wholeheartedly believe in all of it. In fact, I have built a career where I coach leaders on how to embrace this value within their corporations. We teach our children that they should be unique, we respect those who dare to break the mold, and we encourage language that avoids labels.

Twins have a connection. I am witnessing it every day. Yet, looking back on these past few months I am realizing that their bond started before they were even born. When I was 26 weeks pregnant, I went for a routine ultrasound and was told that twin A had very little amniotic fluid and she was not growing. They were unsure if she would survive that week.

I am one of those rare people who get excited about a renovation. I know that it’s messy. I know that life will feel displaced. I know that fighting with your spouse over things you never thought would come between you (like grout color for the mudroom floor) is inevitable. But somehow, I still look forward to it! If you don’t feel the same way that I do, know that you are not alone! Renovations can be very stressful. There are a lot of  to be made in a short time, a lot of money is being spent in a short time and if you aren’t the type of person who can visualize the end result, you’re putting a lot of faith in your professional team.  How many of my clients do you think have the same taste and decor vision as their spouses?  I can tell you that it is very few! They say that opposites attract, and I can attest to that!

The other night, for the first time in almost a decade and half, we watched our wedding video. Aside from the novelty of seeing what a videotape was, my kids were fascinated by seeing their mom as a real-life Cinderella. I always knew that I was a lucky guy, but when I compared the woman next to me on the sofa, to the bride on the screen, I was in awe. Aside from a different hairstyle, my wife has not changed in 17 years.

hockey-mom When I was pregnant with my first child I was terrified. Once I got over the shock and the excitement began to settle in, I knew I wanted to find out the sex of my new baby. As much as I had hopes and dreams of tutus and ribbons (as many women do), I knew inside that I was going to be blessed with a boy. After all signs pointed to a healthy baby, this was of course confirmed. Okay, I thought, so it won’t be pretty in pink. Maybe next time.

A few days ago, I had an incredible opportunity to talk to a class of McGill University social work students about living with anxiety and depression. I’ve been upfront about my struggles here on the blog, but writing about it and standing up in front...

Like the FATHER, SON AND HOLY GHOST, we do not refer to them as the THREE WISE MEN because they talk about male only issues like jock itch and Deflategate, I have been reading WISE WOMEN CANADA for almost two years, as it is a...

I thought I had a wonderful childhood. It was filled with smells of warm soup, big family gatherings at every occasion and Star Trek adventures with neighborhood kids. My family was pretty “Leave it to Beaver”. I felt privileged to have been adopted into a family and not just born into it like most kids. I was chosen. I remember that my home was peaceful. My parents seemed supportive of each other, cooperative and I never did hear them raise their voices or quarrel in any way. But it is that silence that would eat us all up in the end.

One of the privileges of being a high-profile athlete is that I have the opportunity to meet a lot of people, and more often than not, they want to talk about what it’s like training for, and competing in extreme endurance events.  For many years, I was more than happy to have this conversation, but all that changed three years ago, when my world quite literally came crashing down around me.  

The other day I was out for lunch with a friend who was wearing a great shade of lipstick. When she handed me the tube so I could check out the name, I couldn’t see it. I held it at arm’s length and squinted, the letters barely coming into focus. “Look at you”, she giggled. “You can’t see!”