Issac Newton said that for every action there is an equal but opposite reaction. While this may be true for physics, it certainly does not carry over into interpersonal matters. Often the gentlest of gestures, smallest of actions or the quietest of whispered kind words will have an avalanche effect...

After watching four commercials for Ontario Lottery and Gaming (OLG) products in one hour on the news, I began to wonder how much this organization spends to entice people to gamble.

After all, legal gambling is a monopoly so there is no need to woo people away from competitors....

The second line of the serenity prayer is "to accept the things we cannot change." This sounds really easy but in reality can be quite difficult. Our modern society is more about not being happy with who we are and what we have. Everyday we are bombarded with news and...

Many of us are familiar with the Serenity Prayer. It is recited at most AA meetings, at least in the Toronto area. This simple, yet very effective verse is relevant to cancer patients and their families and friends.

The first line of this prayer is...

I never was comfortable with being called a cancer survivor. To me it gives too much power to cancer and not enough to the person. People survive earthquakes, hurricanes, tornados, terrorist attacks, all powerful and overwhelming events and all events over which we have very little, if any control. The...

What do you do when you find out that a friend has cancer? This is the type of news that can make you feel awkward in the relationship. Some people just don't know what to do because they have been fortunate enough to not have encountered situations like this before....

When you make a donation with your hard earned money, you want it to go to the cause. It is understood that some of the donation will be used for administrative costs and fundraising but one hopes that a large percentage will reach the people you intend to help. Unfortunately,...

At my last chemo session a lady was talking about how she was paying $80 in cab fare just to get to each of her hospital visits. That gets one to thinking of the extra financial burdens that are placed on patients and their families and friends. Some of these...

Have you ever watched a loved one die from tobacco use? Since 443,000 Americans and 37,000 Canadians die each year as a direct result of tobacco use, a good percentage of us have had that experience. About 36 per cent of these deaths were from cancer....

Cancer is really stupid. It is also suicidal. Thinking of your cancer in this way tends to take away some of its power and some of your fear. The less power you give your cancer, the more you will give yourself. Reducing your level of fear will also increase your...