Recently a 97-year-old New York man left his $40 million fortune to....no one. People need to encourage their friends and family to start sharing their wishes and their wants...to make it an acceptable discussion topic.

I'm grateful that you see art in everything. I'm grateful that you go to a school with the time to teach art that allows you to be expressive even if I can't put it in the recycle bin because you will just take it out again.

Sooner or later, and usually at the most inappropriate time, some version of The Question ("Where do babies come from?") will emerge from your child's lips. Whatever the inspiration, our responses as Black Daddies tend to oscillate between evasion and deliberate vagueness ("Go ask your mother....").

Oh! how easy it would be to just hide under the covers and ignore the bad guys. Pretending it would all go away it we just make a simple wish. But life is far better lived in 3-D. Lived in colour. Lived out loud, and very, very large.

In my part of Toronto, I have noticed a new understanding of traffic regulation. Stop if it is convenient to do so, but if you are in a hurry, forget about it. If we only teach children that red means stop and green means go, we could be courting disaster.

Being the first-born-generation as a Filipino-Canadian and growing-up in the 80s conjured the kind of awkwardness that kids today will never know. I had to turn to art to escape and find my voice. And even since a very early age, it was one thing, one simple idea, I seemed to always turn to... Art.

There is a picture of a mama and her kids at the park. The kids are happily playing on the playground equipment while the mom checks a message on her phone. What could she be doing? Could a very important phone call just have come in? And who are we to judge?

That moment when you look at your hands, at your feet; and they look...old. When you look at your body and it seems flabby. When you look at your eyes, and they seem tired. That, my dear Mama, is the moment you realize. That being a mother is the hardest gig you've ever had to do. Harder than anything. Keep on keeping on, soldiers.

Last year, a woman with far more experience than I in the education field came to our school to speak to the staff. In her discussion, she broached the topic of communication with parents. And one thing she said stuck in my head and has challenged me ever since.

When I was 20, I lived with my parents and didn't even have a driver's license. I've come a long way since then. I've travelled to 20 countries. And I'm still pursuing my dream of becoming a writer. Here are my life lessons from surviving my twenties.

If you're a parent, you know that your little darlings may not always be telling you the absolute truth. Yes, it's hard to believe, but kids lie. A lot. Just because you've been lied to by your child doesn't mean that it has to continue. It's you against them when it comes to the truth. You're their parent, so you should win.

I am learning, slowly, but surely, that life is not about taking the perfect picture. It is about the big picture. And the smaller ones that define and describe who and what we are. Husband turned and said to me, after the snowman fell and we were rebuilding a second, "He's just like all of us. Falling apart and getting re-built bigger and better again."

Just in front of every baby boomer, there is a parent. Or parents. Like me, on the brink of old age. Let us suppose that I am your mother. Chances are, when you ask me, "How are you Mom?" I will answer "Fine." Am I? Or am I in denial, protecting you from the truth, afraid to admit to my physical and mental lapses?

When it comes to discipline, many parents have taken a large step backwards, and technology is to blame. In this day and age of smart phone journalism, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook shares, parents have become wary and hesitant of punishing their children in case their actions at any moment are recorded and uploaded to a willing audience in a matter of seconds.

I've been using the power of Santa Claus for a few weeks now, and things are looking good. For maximum effectiveness, the use of Santa and his omnipresence is good for the window directly following Halloween until December 25. During this time, I enjoy the increased attentiveness, dearth of meltdowns and general calm that precedes Christmas day.

We've all heard them. Those annoying phrases that our parents said to us growing up and now that we're parents ourselves, we've decided to inflict them our own kids. The reality is that the true meanings behind these messages that parents tell their kids are often not as straightforward as they appear to be. Following are the top 10 phrases that parents use on their kids, and what they really mean.

Dear Caregiver, I am sorry my child lay on the floor today and refused to participate in your class. I also apologize that she further disregarded your implicit instructions pertaining to scheduled activities, not to mention more than once did exactly the opposite of what you requested. Spirited kids are square pegs trying to fit into a round world. They are the ones asking "why" when others are saying "yes." And then some.

The worst part about cold and flu season? That midnight run to the pharmacy that's made even worse with the onset of decision paralysis. So many products...how does one choose? Start with this list of 24 Things You Should Have in Your Medicine Cabinet. Stock up and be prepared. Trust us.

With the kids, my husband is the sensitive one. While I am the screamer, he is the voice of reason. I almost felt inadequate when he told me his approach. But then I remembered: who I am is enough too. I don't have to change who I am, I just have to channel the qualities that make me who I am in the right direction.

As you and your children settle into the new school year with new schedules and new activities, it can all be quite overwhelming. Your role as family manager has just stepped into high gear -- planning, organizing, directing, monitoring, and motivating are in the forefront as you help your children adjust to everything this school year brings. So how can you get everything done and not lose your marbles?