How a veteran finally came to know herself

Plus, home-sellers need a reality check, debunking laundry myths and the heavy risk of Canada’s offensive linemen [The Star] First Up [By Andrew Joe Potter] By Andrew Joe Potter Good morning. Today is Remembrance Day. The day evolved out of Armistice Day, the signing of the agreement to end the First World War on Nov. 11, 1918. At 11 a.m., it is tradition to hold two minutes of silence to remember those who died in military service, and honour those who served and continue to serve during times of conflict and peace. Here’s the latest. MUST READS Supplied REMEMBRANCE DAY [The sharp feeling wasn’t just remembrance or family legacy but a new sense of knowing each other]( Four generations of Kelly S. Thompson’s family have served in the Canadian Armed Forces. While Thompson is the only air force officer and lone female member of the family tradition, she saw herself as merely a “paper-pusher”; “my military career was not illustrious, which left me feeling unentitled to veteran status,” she writes. Standing alongside her grandfather, [this is how Thompson finally embraced honouring her own veteran experience](. Christinne Muschi/Canadian Press ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR [Trudeau walks back senior cabinet minister’s “ceasefire” comment and reaffirms “humanitarian pause” tact]( On Thursday, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said Canada agreed with France’s president on the need to “work for a ceasefire” in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. Not so fast; Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reiterated on Friday that Canada’s official stance is to continue calling for a “significant humanitarian pause,” Tonda MacCharles reports. [Here’s how else the feds backtracked from Joly’s comments](. Toronto Star illustration Real estate [As Toronto’s home sales slow, agents say would-be sellers need a real estate reality check]( The city’s run as a sellers’ market has fallen apart; soaring interest rates have discouraged bidding wars while forcing some recent buyers to seek a quick retreat. Even with average sales prices dropping about 15 per cent since their February 2022 peaks, realtors are struggling to deliver that reality check to over-leveraged clients, Clarrie Feinstein reports. The bottom line? [Prospective sellers are holding on to listing prices well above current market rates, unable to fathom settling for less](. Nate Blackmun/Uproar Productions SPORTS [The heavy toll of being a young Canadian offensive lineman]( Soren Munson, then just 17, measured in at 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds when a coach said his future playing time depended on gaining weight — fast. After three years of extreme eating, he packed on 100 pounds, streaking his body with stretch marks and instilling compulsive eating behaviours. Now 24 and starring at Mount Allison University, Munson is far from the exception; Canada’s young linemen are increasingly being asked to mirror their supersized American counterparts, Nick Naylor writes. [Experts say we need to do a better job safeguarding their health](. Kevin Jiang/Supplied HOUSEKEEPING [No, you shouldn’t wear those tighty whities four days in a row — and debunking other laundry myths]( Drive out to Uxbridge, Ont., and you may run into a veritable washing machine wizard, or just hop on TikTok, where Melissa Pateras’ laundry tricks have become pretty much unmissable. Ahead of the debut of Pateras’ new book, Kevin Jiang caught up with the full-time social worker and part-time social media star to spin through some FAQs, [like whether we really shouldn’t wash our jeans and if sorting loads by colour is truly necessary](. [Smart Money newsletter launch] Get expert help with your money. If you’re looking for advice you can trust when it comes to managing your finances, you might like the Star’s new Smart Money newsletter, [sponsored by Fidelity](. Every week, Smart Money will break down what you need to know to make, save and manage your money. [Sign up for free here](. WATCH THIS Netflix via AP “The Killer” is the latest from thriller master David Fincher (“Se7en,” “Gone Girl”). In addition to showing in select theatres, the steely hitman flick is also now on Netflix. To mark the occasion, Briony Smith takes a shot at the [10 best assassin movies to revisit this weekend](. Thanks for reading. You can reach the First Up team at [firstup@thestar.ca](mailto:firstup@thestar.ca?source=newsletter&utm_source=ts_nl&utm_medium=emailutm_email=6C53B63A8E3FAD70AD4EF13004527437&utm_campaign=frst_203667), and I will see you back here tomorrow. If you're not enjoying these emails, please tell us how we can make them better by emailing newsletterfeedback@thestar.ca. Or, if you'd prefer, you can unsubscribe from this newsletter by clicking the first link below. [Unsubscribe From This Newsletter]( [Sign Up for More Newsletters and Email Alerts]( [View in Browser]( Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. 416-367-2000 [PRIVACY POLICY](