Tag Archives: Memoir

Laughter is the Best Medicine

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When’s the last time you laughed – a hearty, can’t catch your breath, rib-tickling – kind of laugh? Maybe it’s been a while. Maybe you just don’t think there’s anything to laugh about these days, during this challenging, tiring, and seemingly endless monotony we are living in. Maybe you feel guilty to laugh knowing that people in your community are struggling and suffering, knowing that life may not return to the way you remember. Maybe you are still reeling from the unforgivable atrocity against George Floyd, and rightly so (please see Karen’s enlightening blog post on allyship and anti-racism).

Yes, even with all these sorrows, our collective anger and outrage, we must make room for laughter. Humour can lighten our mental load, provide a much-needed respite from the unrelenting flow of bad news, and help us cope with this new world in which we find ourselves.

We have much to be grateful for. Many of us are surrounded by a loving circle of comrades who are enduring quarantine right alongside us. We have seen so many of our community members dedicate their time, resources, and energy to help those less fortunate. And we have prevailed, finding new and innovative ways to connect, exercise, relax, and nourish our souls (#TogetherVaughan). We are gonna get through this!

I’m here to tell you that laughter truly is the best medicine. It’s a scientific fact! Laughter decreases stress hormones, increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, and thereby actually improves your resistance to disease. Take a moment to let that sink in. Laughter, yes, plain old-fashioned heart pumping laughter, is actually a disease-fighting superhero!

Below are some of my tried and true favourites to ease the doldrums, put a smile on your face, and warm your heart. Most are available in digital form, however, if you prefer a physical copy, Vaughan Public Libraries has you covered with curbside pickup at select branches. Continue reading →

Freedom Isn’t Free

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book cover of Every Falling StarMy grandfather told me that love burns brighter than any star. – Sungju Lee

Before reading Sungju Lee’s Every Falling Star: The True Story of How I Survived and Escaped North Korea, I didn’t know much about North Korea, much less what it is like to grow up in a country that Lee describes as “a true-to-life dystopian nation.”  Lee’s story begins with his father teaching him war tactics at age six, lessons that will later save his life as he and his friends run from the police.

As a child young Sungju dreams of becoming an army general. His life in the capital city, Pyongyang, is one of relative luxury, with a nice apartment, a good education, and after-school tae kwon do lessons. He is taught to idolize his country’s leader, Kim Il-sung, and to fear South Korea and the United States.

Continue reading →

Rosalie Lightning—Tom Hart

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Although having a seemingly lighthearted cover, this graphic novel explores the journey of Rosalie Lightning: A Graphic Memoirgrieving over the author’s young daughter’s unexpected and unexplained death. Rosalie Lightning is  a brave book, for searching for representations to express ones grievance is incredibly hard. I find some parts of this book very fragmented, and a little hard to follow. To me, it was these fragments that make this book even more heartbreaking–it is the feeling of not knowing and emptiness. The style of drawing for the main story line contains lots of thick strokes; the characters do not really express any happiness on their faces. These details also contribute to the chaotic undertone of the book as well as the feeling of lost and sorrow. However, I also see this book as a form of closure for Hart, because in the book , he describes the process of discovering love and reflections of his daughter through the surroundings, that helps him to heal.

At the very end of the book, a little girl of a stranger gave Hart a kiss on the cheek. That was a heartwarming moment for a parent looking to rekindle the flame of hope, and brings the readers some relief.

To read more about Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC), visit http://sudc.org/