Etobicoke Lakeshore Press - September 2021 Edition

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WELLNESS FAMILY MEDICINE

DR. MIKE KATARYNYCH Mimico Medical www.mimicomedical.com

Family means different things to different people. In truth, my furry, four-legged friend is a testament to this. Although a drooling, rambunctious, welcomehome party may not be for everyone, it adds a certain sense of belonging to my life. And yet, the idea of “family” is ubiquitous in our society in all of its shapes and forms. Interestingly, the root of the matter can be hard to pin down – what is family to you? You will see the many forms of “family” throughout our society; mother and daughter, longtime friends, neighbours looking out for each other, or simply a hand to hold in a difficult time. Yes, a family can find itself in the home, but it would be a mistake to assume it is somehow confined there. Family transcends distance and boundaries. There is a certain kinship within your community, and the formation of this bond seems inevitable with time.

all the difference to someone you hold dear. Author David Whyte writes in his poem titled “Friendship,” and I offer a piece of this to you as a description of family: “the ultimate touchstone is witness, the privilege of having been seen by someone and the equal privilege of being granted the sight of the essence of another, to have walked with them and to have believed in them, and sometimes just to have accompanied them for however brief a span, on a journey impossible to accomplish alone.” I look forward to welcoming you and yours to my Family Practice. As always, with kind regards,

The significance of family is undeniable. I pursued Family Medicine specifically because I appreciate and have seen the power of relationships to us as human beings. In my experience, family often presents itself in the simplest of forms – relationships. Although there is utility in X-rays, blood tests, and medicine – the power of relationships is truly remarkable. No matter the health afflictions we face as human beings, the healing properties of strong relationships are incredible. We see this in the scientific literature, and I see this every day in my practice. And so I propose to you to embrace whatever form of “family” you have in your life, especially after such a challenging year where we had no choice but to separate ourselves from our families and experienced the repercussions of doing so. As the world trends towards normalcy, and always with safety in mind, I encourage you to remind your friends and family of their importance. A simple act of kindness is often underestimated and may make

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ETOBICOKE LAKESHORE PRESS

DR.MIKE KATARYNYCH Mimico Medical 416.201.0836 www.mimicomedical.com


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