This Life

Middle aged Natalie Lawson is a Montréal based newspaper lifestyle columnist, and a single mother to three young adult to young teenaged children, Caleb, Emma and Romy. Caleb is just coming into his own as a man, but often stumbles along the way. Emma is at an age of being generally self-absorbed. And Romy is academically gifted but suffers from anxiety. Natalie's ex-husband/the children's father, David Crowley, has long been out of their lives, Romy who doesn't even remember him. Natalie is also one of four siblings - surgeon Matthew Lawson, gay artist Oliver Lawson and "free-spirit" Maggie Lawson - with Natalie the stable sibling to who most of them turn in times of need or crisis. Natalie and her siblings are often at odds with their parents, Gerald and Janine Lawson, especially as Janine holds strong to her Catholic beliefs. Natalie once suffered from cancer, which went into remission. However, her cancer has returned in a more aggressive form, with the prognosis not being good. As Natalie deals with the prospect of imminent death, the dynamics within her extended family need to change where she can no longer be the one providing the continual support, but rather be the one who needs the emotional support, which may be easier said than done. Natalie also has to decide how much she will fight for a "life" including if she will allow herself the possibility to fall in love again.