This past year feels as though it has been full of unexpected gifts, gifts that upon first glance didn鈥檛 appear to be gifts at all.聽
In recent months we鈥檝e felt global tragedy leak into all corners of everyday life: Syrians fleeing their homes, oppression of basic human rights and freedoms in a multitude of nations, influential and powerful individuals with big soapboxes spewing vitriol and racist propaganda, and the growing occurrence of mass shootings.聽
And yet there is always a silver lining.聽
On the heels of such events and with the election of a new federal government that seems to be leading our country back to its roots, Canadians have been given boundless opportunities to show what we are made of. Not just as a country, but as individuals. Which in turn has given me the opportunity to teach my kids about integrity and compassion within a very relatable context 鈥� other children and their families.聽
On a federal level, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has impressed, if not frustrated, even the harshest of critics. His cabinet is made up of skilled professionals who are experts in their fields 鈥� and their own portfolios. He鈥檚 demonstrated a willingness, if not steadfast determination, to correct our course as a nation, which has significantly more to offer the world than just our raw, natural resources. He鈥檚 not afraid to lead with kindness and heart. I suspect he believes there鈥檚 no better way.
Trudeau鈥檚 willingness to make right, to the best of this government鈥檚 ability, on issues such the environment at the Paris climate change conference, relations with Indigenous peoples and compassionate end-of-life consideration including one鈥檚 own right to die with dignity is just the beginning.聽
Our timely and responsible commitment to welcome 25,000 Syrian refugees into Canada is something for which I am particularly grateful as we come up to the winter holidays. I speak to Christmas as that is what my family celebrates, but of course the same is true for the high holidays of other cultures. Christmas is a time of year when many of us strive to share the true meaning of the holiday with our children. For some who do not have a strong faith or spiritual scaffolding, it can be a challenge to find ways to communicate the sentiment. In the absence of age-old stories and traditions that can be shared with authenticity, imbuing the essence of the season requires a little more creativity. 聽
Our family certainly has a generous mix of both perspectives. I welcome any opportunity to demonstrate to my girls what it means to recognize that we are all brothers and sisters on this little planet, and that we all have an individual responsibility to care for the whole. I鈥檝e always told my daughters that strangers are friends we haven鈥檛 met yet, and when it comes to helping bring refugees to our country 鈥� and directly to our own community for that matter 鈥� well, we are the ones who are winning.聽
With every ounce we give, we receive tenfold in return.
I鈥檓 thankful that this shift is happening now, as at ages eight and 10, my girls are becoming more conscious of the wider world around them. I have hope, for the first time in a decade, that they will grow up in a country they can be proud of, a Canada that is starting to resemble the one I knew and loved as a child. And for all of these gifts I couldn鈥檛 have more gratitude.聽
From my heart to yours, I wish you and your family a Happy Christmas and many blessings on the New Year.
