By Ruth Knox
As for my country, I don't live there, but obviously I'm very proud to be Canadian.
~Mike Weir
I no longer take being a Canadian for granted. You see, I now live in the USA. Don't get me wrong. I love the reason I am here. As a widow in my fifties I was fortunate enough to find the love of my life, get married again, buy a house, and start a whole new life. Who wouldn't love a fairy tale like that? I live in a city that I adore, enjoy wonderful new friends, and have the career for which I always pined. In fact, I'm living the life of my dreams. I know I am because I have a "wish box" into which for years I stuffed little slips of paper. Onto each scrap of paper I faithfully scribbled my hopes and dreams. Almost all of them have come true. But one thing happened that was NOT on my wish list -- leaving behind my family, my friends, and my beloved Canada.
As for my country, I don't live there, but obviously I'm very proud to be Canadian.
~Mike Weir
I no longer take being a Canadian for granted. You see, I now live in the USA. Don't get me wrong. I love the reason I am here. As a widow in my fifties I was fortunate enough to find the love of my life, get married again, buy a house, and start a whole new life. Who wouldn't love a fairy tale like that? I live in a city that I adore, enjoy wonderful new friends, and have the career for which I always pined. In fact, I'm living the life of my dreams. I know I am because I have a "wish box" into which for years I stuffed little slips of paper. Onto each scrap of paper I faithfully scribbled my hopes and dreams. Almost all of them have come true. But one thing happened that was NOT on my wish list -- leaving behind my family, my friends, and my beloved Canada.
Growing up on the streets of a very cosmopolitan Toronto, I considered the Canada/U.S. border to be an unnecessary inconvenience. I figured that for the most part we enjoy the same culture, the same pastimes, the same music, even similar politics, so what's the big deal? We may as well be the same country. Living beyond the borders of Canada I now realize it is not as simple as that.
What I didn't understand was that the world is a different place when you live in a country other than that of your birth. I guess I am experiencing what millions of immigrants all over the world already know -- that no matter how generous and welcoming your new country, there's still no place like home. And for me, no matter where I live, Canada, forever and always, will be my home.
Since living in the U.S. I have met the most wonderful, warm Americans who opened their hearts and their homes to me. They have made me feel comfortable here, helped me find my place, definitely making my transition from hometown girl to immigrant much easier to take.
Circumstances vary across the U.S., as do laws and politics, but the longer I am here the more I appreciate what being a Canadian means. I am not going to get political, but my heart is warmed to know that every Canadian has access to topnotch affordable health care. That's certainly not true in many countries across the globe, even those close to home.
When I take a job in Canada, I am guaranteed a minimum wage, no matter who I am, no matter where I'm from. Free of charge I can visit any of the many world class libraries and avail myself of rich stores of knowledge so great that I will not be able to absorb even a fraction of them in my lifetime. And I can share them with my children. We have millions of acres of national parks to enjoy with our families, and I've never once seen them close their gates due to lack of funding or political disputes. Just a short walk or drive from almost any home in Canada we have parks, parkettes, conservation areas, and massive forests for our enjoyment. Our neighbourhoods are relatively safe. We don't have to worry that the guy next door might have a handgun tucked into his belt, so our kids are free to play outside without fear.
These are just a few of the privileges of living in Canada that we may have come to take for granted. I know I did. It's easy to gripe about high taxes and funding cuts because no one likes them, but let's face it, no system and no country is perfect. But our precious Canada comes pretty darned close.
It took me leaving my own country to realize just how fortunate I was to be born a Canadian, and how I failed to appreciate it. I guess you could say I had to go away to really come home.
What I didn't understand was that the world is a different place when you live in a country other than that of your birth. I guess I am experiencing what millions of immigrants all over the world already know -- that no matter how generous and welcoming your new country, there's still no place like home. And for me, no matter where I live, Canada, forever and always, will be my home.
Since living in the U.S. I have met the most wonderful, warm Americans who opened their hearts and their homes to me. They have made me feel comfortable here, helped me find my place, definitely making my transition from hometown girl to immigrant much easier to take.
Circumstances vary across the U.S., as do laws and politics, but the longer I am here the more I appreciate what being a Canadian means. I am not going to get political, but my heart is warmed to know that every Canadian has access to topnotch affordable health care. That's certainly not true in many countries across the globe, even those close to home.
When I take a job in Canada, I am guaranteed a minimum wage, no matter who I am, no matter where I'm from. Free of charge I can visit any of the many world class libraries and avail myself of rich stores of knowledge so great that I will not be able to absorb even a fraction of them in my lifetime. And I can share them with my children. We have millions of acres of national parks to enjoy with our families, and I've never once seen them close their gates due to lack of funding or political disputes. Just a short walk or drive from almost any home in Canada we have parks, parkettes, conservation areas, and massive forests for our enjoyment. Our neighbourhoods are relatively safe. We don't have to worry that the guy next door might have a handgun tucked into his belt, so our kids are free to play outside without fear.
These are just a few of the privileges of living in Canada that we may have come to take for granted. I know I did. It's easy to gripe about high taxes and funding cuts because no one likes them, but let's face it, no system and no country is perfect. But our precious Canada comes pretty darned close.
It took me leaving my own country to realize just how fortunate I was to be born a Canadian, and how I failed to appreciate it. I guess you could say I had to go away to really come home.
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