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I have always been proud to be Canadian, but never more so than when I attended a ceremony of 85 people receiving their Canadian citizenship last week. I was startled by how moved I was by the ceremony. I am the by-product of two immigrants, and I have heard about my parents’ contrasting journeys of becoming Canadians for my entire life. My mum spoke English and my father came to Canada knowing only two words (thank-you and potato). I have always been drawn to the intrigue of the immigrants’ path. It was not until I married an immigrant myself that I came to appreciate the courage, discipline, and vision it takes to choose a new homeland and to learn to live your days in a language other than your mother tongue.

As the judge spoke of the faith it takes to leave behind the security of family and customs, that they, regardless of their past, have come to a country that offers a future. I realize we all have a future, but many of us have not had to be so premeditated about it. Having been given the gift of Canadian citizenship as a birth right, I found my heart swelling as this group of new immigrants swore their allegiance. The judge invited the rest of us in the room to join in with reaffirming our allegiance, and I was still for a moment, as I realized I’d never really taken a moment to acknowledge what it means to have the privilege of Canadian citizenship.

I was curious to know each of their stories and the pathways they each took to choose Canada, but time and space did not allow this. So I settled my curiosity and merely drank in the celebration in the room. I left knowing that they each had to find within themselves something I could only imagine deliberately connecting to. This was a moment of true celebration that I was grateful to have shared with my new Canadian friend.

Life Coaching with Ruth

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