Happy Canada Day
Jhumpa Lahiri beautifully describes in ‘The Namesake’, the nuances of relocating from one country to another. She writes of a new existence: “...a perpetual wait, a constant burden, a continuous feeling out of sorts. It is an ongoing responsibility, a parenthesis in what had once been an ordinary life, only to discover that previous life has vanished, replaced by something more complicated and demanding.” The obstacles involved in ‘making it’ -- assimilating, reeducation, building a family, and creating a home -- are numerous. My parents came here from India, with a purpose and a goal. And their hardships were real. Our family has seen both beauty and happiness, and also much pain and heartache.💔
Canada is not perfect. We have racism, societal unrest, discrimination, our many forgotten people, and much, much turmoil. However, what my parents wanted for their children, and themselves -- opportunity, education, choices -- has in so many ways come to fruition. They focused on building from nothing and relied on their wits, strength, and resilience to combat whatever life threw their way. Like so many, despite struggles assimilating, severe loss, family feuds and the like, they never gave up. 🙏🏽
Whatever we are doing, given all the opportunities afforded us in this life, we keep at it. To be happier. To learn from yesterday. To correct past and present wrongs. If we are allowed this privilege that perhaps our parents didn’t always have -- to seek wellness, take stock, and question things -- we must continue to do so. I know firsthand, people do change. 🦋 People learn and people grow. Given all that those before us endured, neglecting such growth would certainly be a shame. And given the number of people in crisis, and the social unrest we are witnessing today, why wait? The time is now. We can simultaneously practice gratitude and reconcile the past, while we also reach out. Ask questions. Push the envelope. Try. When one is down, we all are. 🌎 Assuming a satisfactory status quo, will not strengthen “the whole”. We are better than that. And most definitely, stronger together. 👊🏽
❤️Happy Day to ALL! ❤️
🇨🇦 🇮🇳 🇺🇸 🇦🇺 🇯🇲 🇬🇧 🇫🇷 🇪🇸 🇮🇹 🇸🇴 🇵🇰 🇵🇹 🇨🇱 🇦🇷
Thank you Glish social!
Thank you as well Lena Johal! Some days we look at life as the glass being half full. Other days it is half empty. Canada is definitely a wonderful, wonderful home. While there is much work to be done in order to create more balance among our people here -- a lot in fact -- we can still have gratitude for all that is. x
I was having a conversation the other day regarding Canada Day, and whether one should celebrate this day or not. I really believe that you summed up Canada's past and current issues, as well as its cultural values, exceptionally well. We are not a perfect country. But I am definitely proud to be Canadian.
"Canada is not perfect. We have racism, societal unrest, discrimination, our many forgotten people, and much, much turmoil. However, what my parents wanted for their children, and themselves -- opportunity, education, choices -- has in so many ways come to fruition. They focused on building from nothing and relied on their wits, strength, and resilience to combat whatever life threw their way. Like so many, despite…
Very well said! Happy Canada Day!