This is it. The final countdown to Laura’s move to Australia is on. As the day gets closer, I’m feeling grateful for the technology that keeps us connected.

Welcome to the 172^nd edition of The Sunday Spark, a series with weekly thoughts and highlights, nuggets of learning, and a quote of the week. Along with my feelings about the final countdown to Laura’s departure, this week’s edition has a Wordle word of the week, research on the benefits of bilingualism, and food innovation in Canada’s north.

On my mind this week: It’s the final countdown

Laura arrived home on Thursday. She’s here for three weeks and then returns to B.C. for a week before she leaves for Australia. On Thursday evening, Colleen will arrive home for ten days.

I’m excited to have my two chickadees back in the nest for a while, but Laura’s arrival reminded me that the final countdown to her move has begun.

Twenty-five days from now, Laura will be on a plane headed to the other side of the world. Ever since she told me she was going, I’ve consoled myself by looking forward to spending time together this summer. Now, I see that time slowly slipping away.

No matter how much we love our kids and want to keep them close, setting them free to live their lives is part of our evolution. I’m excited and happy for Laura. My head knows this is what she needs to do at this stage of her life, but my heart still struggles.

Grateful for technology that connects us

In recent weeks, I’ve been thinking a lot about how my mum must have felt when my sister Angela stayed behind when we emigrated to Canada in 1973.

In the 70s, it was much more difficult to stay connected. There were no video calls or family group chats. International phone calls were expensive and reserved for special occasions. It wasn’t as simple as just picking up the phone and calling. First, you had to call the operator to request an overseas call. Then, the operator would call you back when a line was free.

Angela always tells the story of the first Christmas after we came to Canada. She tried to call us but couldn’t get an overseas line. She said she sat and cried because she felt so alone.

In those days, we mostly communicated by letter. We’d be excited to see a letter in the mailbox bringing news that was usually weeks old. It’s hard to imagine now in the age of instant information.

So, while I miss having my daughters close by, I am grateful for the technology that makes it easy to stay connected and share news on a daily basis. And no matter how far they roam, they’re always close to my heart.

The Sunday Spark is on hiatus

We have a busy few weeks lined up with lots of visiting with friends and family. As such, The Sunday Spark will be on hiatus for a couple of weeks. Instead of a new Sunday post, I’ll bring back two of my favourites from earlier in the series.

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Three highlights of the week

It’s important to celebrate big milestones and simple pleasures in life. Keeping the trend going, here are three highlights and simple pleasures of the week gone by:

• Our air quality was much improved this week, so I was able to resume my morning walks.
• I visited my Mum for lunch on Wednesday, and then Laura and I went to see her on Friday afternoon for lunch.
• I booked a trip to visit Colleen in PEI at the end of September. We’re going to go see Anne & Gilbert, The Musical while I’m there.

Things I learned this week

Life is all about learning. Here are three things I learned this week:

Wordle word of the week

Do you Wordle? I do. It’s part of my morning routine. In recent weeks, we’ve seen a few of what my daughter Colleen calls “fake words”. They are real words, but some of them are quite obscure. I suppose it was bound to happen eventually. There are only so many 5-letter words in the English language.  

One such word appeared earlier this week when the Wordle word was shill. Dictionary.com defines shill as:

• a person who poses as a customer in order to decoy others into participating, as at a gambling house, auction, confidence game, etc.
• a person who publicizes or praises something or someone for reasons of self-interest, personal profit, or friendship or loyalty.

The cognitive benefits of bilingualism

I’ve always had a talent for languages. In high school, French and German were my best subjects and it turns out I should be grateful for that. Research shows bilingualism could delay the onset of Alzheimer’s symptoms by four to five years.   

And it’s never too late. Even learning a second language later in life and achieving moderate skill might contribute to cognitive resilience.

(Source: Study Finds)

Food innovation in Canada’s north

Churchill, Manitoba is best known for polar bears, but the Churchill Northern Studies Centre is showing real innovation when it comes to increasing food security in the community.

One terrific example of this innovation is Rocket Seeds, which grows leafy greens and herbs in a repurposed sea container. The container holds up to 1800 plants that are harvested year round. The harvest is distributed to the community weekly through a subscription program.

(Source: Happy Eco News) 

Quote of the week

How lucky I am, to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.

Winnie the Pooh, A.A. Milne

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I’d love to hear what you think about any of this week’s topics. Drop me a comment below and let me know your thoughts and ideas.