I love my country. It’s an imperfect, often embattled country faced with major difficulties but it is a country that knows perfection is unattainable and that humility is not a vice. It is a country that has already come through serious threats to its very existence as a cohesive federation in the short span of time that has elapsed since Confederation. It is a country that understands its own worth and role in the world as a nation of compassion. It is a quiet, forceful storm of humanity in a global climate of chaos. It’s my home.
Canadians are a passionate bunch. Because we love our country so much, we’re not afraid to speak loudly about our shortcomings – even when the entire world is watching. We’re not ashamed of who we are because we know that we have come very far, very fast. We’re not overtly patriotic but we are fiercely nationalistic – never to the point of isolation, however. We refuse to allow outside forces to define us. We stand for what we believe in and we fight to maintain that autonomy. We fight hard.
We’re seen as “nice” by many in the world. Nice means being thoughtful, respectful and willing to help others when we can, but it also means disagreeing without being disagreeable and being strongly diplomatic with those we are deeply concerned about. We don’t bang the hammer of obedience. We extend the hand of compromise. And, we get results.
We embrace our diversity. We deplore those who don’t. We struggle constantly to lift our aboriginal people out of poverty and isolation. We have not yet succeeded. We strive for equal rights for all – even for those in Quebec who would rather secede. We fight daily to maintain our universal health care. We know what a treasure it is. We value our children. We want them to experience the promises of this country. We work on the premise of “peace, order and good government” – a humble reflection of our own lives. We ache for those who suffer and provide what we can. We feel safe – not a small feat in the world today. We feel hope. We feel content. We know we cannot take anything for granted. We are grateful. We live in the global community as a full partner and we understand our duties.
We believe in the words of Max Ehrmann’s Desiderata:
“With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.”
We are quietly proud but never set ourselves above all others. We understand that life is a symphony – that we are just part of the orchestra and that it takes every effort in concert to achieve the beautiful music of progress.
We are Canadians. Sometimes, we just need to step back and appreciate what we have and who we are. Today is one of those days.
Crossposted at Progressive Bloggers
