What am I thankful for today? It's a big one. I'm doing a lot of big ones first...I'm going to have to start pacing myself!
But today, this just has to be said...even though Canada Day is still six weeks off: I'm thankful to be Canadian.
This morning on my drive to work, I listened to part of an interview with a man who had escaped from North Korea and immigrated to Canada. Part of the discussion...via translator...was about how this man saw Canadians. What his impressions of Canada are. He said Canadians are "smiley," and they don't get mad when you bump into them...in fact, when someone bumps into someone else, usually both people apologize! A few moments later, the translator related how different it was for him to be able to say what he wants. And even though he knows he can say what he wants, there were moments during the interview when he held back, still afraid of the consequences of speaking out.
I got a little emotional listening to this interview. If my mother is the thing I am most grateful for in my life, the second most important thing is that I was born in Canada. And sometimes, when you see the things you love through other people's eyes, you love them even more, you appreciate them even more.
I tried to imagine what it would be like to live in a place where the slightest suggestion of criticism toward the government could land you in a prison camp. Where male and female prisoners are matched up by the guards to produce babies that will become camp slaves. Where no one but the rich and powerful has any control over their own destiny. The oppression, the unrelenting weight of a government that hates its own citizens and treats them so incredibly badly.
And then I think what it's like to live here, in a country where I can say whatever I want, no matter how controversial, and be defended for my right to say it. Where I can be what I want, go where I want, think what I want, be with who I want...or not be with anyone at all...and no one tries to force me to do otherwise. This is a country that cherishes freedom, respects human life, cares for the ill, educates everyone. I could go on all day about what a great place this is.
It's not perfect, no. No place is. But, not knowing what it's like to live anywhere else, I can't really imagine it could be any better than it is here. I'm so proud to be a Canadian, and so thankful that I was born here. If I hadn't been, I'm sure I would have come as an immigrant, like so many others, like my ancestors did 150 years ago. I know there are other countries with higher standards of living, better health care systems, better social systems. You always hear good things about the Scandinavian countries, and it sounds like France has a social support system that's really something special.
But I'd never give up my life in Canada to live elsewhere. I'd live elsewhere in Canada, for sure. I love Ottawa, but there are so many amazing places in this country that I think I'd enjoy living in. Newfoundland especially. Nova Scotia an easy second. But there's something sweet about living near where your ancestors started out in this country. More than likely, I will always stay in the Ottawa area.
My love for this country is never far from my consciousness. I recognize every day how fortunate I am to live here. My pride in being Canadian fills me with such an intense emotion sometimes, it's like I can't contain it. I can never sing "Oh Canada" without choking up. It's embarrassing really.
If I was a flamboyant person, I would have followed through on a fun little fantasy I used to have now and then. How fun it would be, I thought, to dub myself Canada Pat, to get dressed up in red and white with a big red maple leaf on my shirt, and go to Ottawa Senators hockey games. During the national anthem, I would turn my back on the ice and face the people sitting behind me and make like an orchestra conductor, entreating the crowd to sing, sing, SING as loud as they could those beautiful words. We're such a reserved people (unless someone's about to score or there's a fight on the ice). I dream about hearing the thunder of twenty thousand voices singing as one at the top of our lungs...oh Canada, our home and native land...all of us together showing the world how much we love our country and how thankful every last one of us is to be here.
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