Parenting Times editor Tracey Tong, right, and her daughter Ellie.
Photo Courtesy Tracey Tong
There are so many things we should obviously be grateful for when we have them.
A roof over our heads. Full bellies. Clean water. Good health. Vehicles that get us where we need to go. Living in peace. Freedom.
While not all of us have these needs fulfilled and some (or all) may come and go throughout our lives, it’s important to have an attitude of gratitude when we can call these so-called essentials ours.
There are gifts we dismiss when life inevitably gets hairy. For instance, I’m fortunate to work in a field I’m still passionate about after two decades. I’m lucky to feel curiosity and wonder and to love learning. I’m happy to have an abundance of energy. When I (find the time to) think about it, my list is long.
Then there are the gifts we may wrongfully dismiss as not really being gifts at all: a busy house full of children’s noises and having the problem of too many options of what to make for dinner.
Suffice to say that I’ve been thinking about gifts and how fortunate we are that they are still being given so freely and received so gracefully among people who don’t know each other, even in a time of economic uncertainty. The proof is around us in so many forms and we’ve captured some of it in our March 2026 issue, titled “The gift.”
In these pages, you’ll find Ottawa stories about the gift of belonging (video game lovers bring their welcoming hobby to venues across the city); the gift of experience (Sheryl Bennett-Wilson’s story on older adults who share their expertise after retirement); the gift of time (school council members give up their evenings and weekends to enrich school experiences); the gift of knowledge (families who contribute to scientific studies); the gift of community (Buy Nothing groups provide more than just used stuff) and the gift of adventure (Ottawa mom Janhabi Nandy takes her son on a five-month trip of a lifetime).
Our columnists tackled this topic too. Memoirs of a New Dad’s Chris Hunt writes about the best gift he’s given (a listening ear) while Dad’s Dispatch’s Jon Willing recalls a work placement that changed the course of his life – the gift of opportunity.
We at Parenting Times Magazine are thankful for you, the person who has picked up a copy of our publication at the community centre or is currently reading this online. It truly is a labour of love and you are our gift.
Best wishes,
Tracey
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