Article featured in Avatar - Volume 1, Issue 6 (November 2007). Friendship and Forgiving by .Infinity. (Mel) In your lifetime you will meet many people. Within these people you meet, you will often befriend someone. Sometimes during a friendship you may have a few disagreements, which at some point may cause arguments. These arguments can be small, but at other times they can be fairly large. While sometimes the argument may end quickly, at other times it may never end. Never-ending...

Spending quality time with your family By Suvrita (Childish Giggle) There may be many things going on in a teenager's life, such as school, homework, friends, and relationships. In this fast track life, we can sometimes forget our families. Even when we are with them physically we are not always present mentally. Often we are too busy texting people to find out about the events of our family's lives. Why is there a need to spend quality time with our family? Do you...

Spending time with the elderly By MedusoidMycelium (Lydia) Oftentimes, we can become consumed by our busy lives and forget some of the most vulnerable people in our communities, towns and cities - the elderly. You might have the opportunity to spend time with elderly relatives around the holidays, but you can make an even greater impact by attempting to spend time with them and other elderly adults on a regular basis, not just during special occasions. Elderly adults have a lot to offer,...

What is Galentine's Day? By Dez (Ennui.) What is Galentine's Day? Galentine's Day is a holiday dedicated to celebrating and supporting the women in your life, whether family, friends, or coworkers. It is celebrated on February 13th, the day before Valentine's Day. Galentine's Day was created by the show Parks and Recreation. The main character, Leslie Knope, invented Galentine's Day to celebrate the women she cared about. She treated them to a waffle brunch and surprised them with...
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The different types of love By Cassie (hocus pocus) When people think of love, they may think of the romantic kind, especially around specific holidays such as Christmas and Valentine’s Day. While romantic love is a very significant reason to celebrate, there are other forms of love that are just as important. Self-love Feeling love towards yourself is often easier said than done, but it can be helpful to practice it no matter how large or small your activity is. For instance, you...

Are you a 'toxic' friend? By Holly (Celyn) Are you a ‘toxic’ friend? You may have come across online articles and social media posts talking about traits of ‘toxic’ people, why such people are bad for us and what to do about them. Such articles and posts describe many negative characteristics of a person and may end by suggesting using boundaries or cutting contact with said person. However, what if you relate and feel that you might be a toxic friend? Are you really a toxic friend? If...

Elder abuse By Robin (PSY) Many of us are fortunate to have grandparents or other beloved elderly adults in our lives. Some of these individuals may need more assistance from family members and caregivers than others, but regardless of how dependent elders may be on other people, all of them are vulnerable to abuse of various forms. Unfortunately, you may have seen this in your own life. Perhaps you’ve noticed suspicious bruises, which were dismissed as the result of a “fall.” Maybe...

Coping with overbearing parents By Sammi (Jellybean.) As we go through our teenage years, our parents or guardians have a tendency to try to hold onto our childhood. For some, that means doing activities together to try and keep the close relationship they had when their child was growing up. For others, it could mean parents continuing to try to control their kids' lives and insert their opinions when they are not wanted. Some parents, however, take things to extreme levels. They can...

Young carers (caregivers) – Caring for a loved one By Jessie (Palmolive) How to know if you’re a carer for someone with a mental or physical health problem. If you are under the age of 18 and provide care to a family member, you are considered a young caregiver. It may be the case that your parent suffers with an illness that results in you not only caring for them, but also caring for your siblings. You don’t necessarily have to live with the person you care for. Caring for...

Celebrating with the family we choose: What is Friendsgiving? By Cassie (cynefin) Struggling is common during the holiday season. There's a lot of activity and so little time. If you're anything like me, you may not want to be around your family: perhaps there are toxic people, conflicting views, or just a general sense of discomfort. Even if you do enjoy seeing your family, gatherings are likely to be limited this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Friendsgiving is how it sounds: it's a...

Ask what they need. Without realizing it, we sometimes project what we would need in a similar situation onto the other person and forget that different people are helped in different ways. Even if they say something that goes against your natural tendencies, such as wanting space when you think talking it out is the better option, make an effort to give them what they think is best suited for their coping process. There will also be times that people don't know the answer to this question and...