I Love Canada Because
by Patricia Parkinson
It's the month of love here at the Canadian Collective and I thought what better way to celebrate love than to share the love we have for our country, don't worry, this isn't some political rant or essay, and then I thought, who better to ask about the love of Canada, then kids - kids and a few friends of mine whose responses I looked forward to with anticipation.
So, I talked to some children from my son's grade two class and my daughter's grade five class, and asked them, "Why do you love Canada?"
Here's what they had to say.
I love Canada because I can spell it.
I love Canada because my mom lives here.
I love Canada because I can sing that song.
I love Canada because we have trees and mountains.
The Vancouver Canucks were a popular theme.
And this, coming from a ten year old girl who's the long distance runner of the school, "Because there is no war."
The question turned into conversations with strangers, with customers, thoughts from the elderly, from vetrans who puffed out their chests when I spoke to them, thoughts from good friends and new ones, from people who travelled around the world for the opportunity to live here, to become a citizen.
My best friend and her husband said, "We love Canada because of the land, the freedom. Freedom."
Quote for a 16 year old Korean student who has been in our country for seven days and is living in our home. It's bloody amazing she hasn't bolted. HA!! "Canadians are nice," she said.
And then there was a man, a noble man that I'm proud to call friend, a man who has been living here for nineteen years from India, a man who has a PHD and a masters in economics and now makes a killing, and I mean killing, selling cars to support his family, his son is going to be a Doctor, told me, "It might be better to live in another country, better for a businessman, but in Canada, there is health care, there is opportunity, there is safety, there is peace."
For myself, I love Canada because this is my home, where I live, in a multicultural land where I was born. I am Canadian, it's one of the things I love most about myself.
The picture is of a barn on the corner of Glover Road and Telegraph Trail in Langley, British Columbia. I drive past it going to work.
AND CHECK BACK TOMORROW, We've got Joseph Young! Looking forward to his thoughts on love.
posted by Anonymous | 1:01 pm
6 Comments:
Great line this: "I love Canada because I can spell it." Kids tell it straight, don't they? Some nice sentiments here, Patricia. Thanks.
oh, I wanted to write so much more. It was a very interesting, no, moving thing for me to ask certain people this question, there is alot of emotion associcated with it, one man from Poland could not speak, and not because he didn't have anything to say, because he didn't know how to put it into words, we're very lucky my family and I as we know alot of different nationalies of people, we have had care givers over the years live with us from Romania, Slovakia and Poland, now we have two girls, one from Korea, one from Taiwan, the thing for me, that I have always known in the that way we know about things that are instinticual but never experienced, is that people are all just that, we are truly one people. I really enjoyed doing this, the kids crack me up, they get all like, oh, this is serious, or they sort of daydreamed away the question, my son said, "I Love Canada because I'm alive here."
YEAH!!!!
Very nice, Patricia. Should have your name on it, such a nice piece.
Discussing this with others brings insight we often take for granted, especially in this country where there's not a whole lot of nationalistic hoopla. It's easy to assume that others value the same things we do here in Canada, but it seems you've discovered that people place importance on different aspects of our country depending on their life experience. That's the diversity I really love.
I added Patricia's name. In case people are wondering what the hell Joe Young is talking about.
We often forget our bylines here at the CWC because of how Collective we are.
I think we should have more opportunity to hear what kids have to say about things! Thanks P.!
My chest is puffy. And you said everything so nicely.
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