Opinion | How a late ADHD diagnosis let me find peace with myself

Jun 26

*Originally published on May 22, 2026*
For nearly my entire life, my understanding of ADHD was wrapped around boys who couldn’t sit still and often had behavioural issues stemming from impulse control.
Beyond that, I didn’t know much. If I ever thought of what ADHD looked like in girls, I imagined the same characteristics. Kids who couldn’t sit in their chairs, lashed out at teachers, and were constantly on the cusp of failing.
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Opinion | How a late ADHD diagnosis let me find peace with myself

For nearly my entire life, my understanding of ADHD was wrapped around boys who couldn’t sit still and often had behavioural issues stemming from impulse control.

Beyond that, I didn’t know much. If I ever thought of what ADHD looked like in girls, I imagined the same characteristics. Kids who couldn’t sit in their chairs, lashed out at teachers, and were constantly on the cusp of failing.

Opinion | When it comes to grief, there is no substitute for showing up

My mom died in mid-May.

Like all the oldest baby boomers, she would have turned 80 this year. Many people attended her funeral online. Far fewer sat in the pews. I was grateful for every expression of sympathy, whether it arrived as a phone call, a message, a card, or a name in the livestream. Yet, as I looked at the empty seats, I found myself thinking about what it means to truly show up. In an age of constant connection, we are losing the value of simply being present. Physical presence in grief and caregiving carries a kind of weight that digital connection cannot replace.

Opinion | The family history I never knew: How being adopted hid a life-saving clue

Whenever a doctor asked about my family medical history, I waved it off with a flippant hand. As an adoptee from a closed adoption, I couldn’t answer. I would shrug and say, “I don’t know — I’m adopted.” I didn’t have any control over it, so I tried to let it go. How do you explain that your life began with a mystery?

Opinion | If Albertans want their voices to count in Ottawa, the path forward is not separation, it’s electoral reform

For decades, Quebec has been the province to voice desire for referendums, but recently talk of separating has been blowing over the prairies. This latest iteration is being pushed under the banner of autonomy and fairness, driven by frustration over another federal Liberal government and a growing sense of Western alienation.

Toronto Star

Shara Cooper MA, MFA

Shara Cooper is a writer, editor and independent publisher based in Edmonton, Alberta. She is the founder of Nordic Prairie Life and SCENE 49 and publishes The Boundary Sentinel, an independent news publication serving British Columbia’s Boundary region. Her work spans journalism, essays, culture, history and community storytelling, and her writing has appeared in various publications including the Toronto Star.

https://www.sharacooper.ca

Opinion | How a late ADHD diagnosis let me find peace with myself

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Opinion | When it comes to grief, there is no substitute for showing up