Canada Day In Richmond.

                Canada Day has always been celebrated in my life. When I was little I can’t remember if we did anything special on July 1st but we always knew that it was our countries birthday. I think my earliest memories are of watching fireworks in Barrie by the lake and getting absolutely soaked by rain that created small rivers in the streets. We got home completely wet from head to toe and I remember having a great time. More recent memories are of spending the day at the beach with different friends from many different youth groups and again enjoying fireworks at the lake in Barrie.

                

               The short and sweet story is that this year July 1^st was very different for me. We did have a celebration at the hospice which really made my day. A Canadian who had come to Richmond for a couple days had brought Canada Day accessories from the dollar store as she knew she would be with us at the hospice on Monday. So the staff at the hospice dressed up and we took many pictures. Had I been willing to do a solo we probably could have sung the Canadian anthem together but I spared them this time! The staff were much more daring than me and when we needed to run to town to pick up some things the Canada stuff did not come off. We had fun laughing throughout the day at the funny looks that were given both in town and also in the communities when we went to hand out food parcels.

                

Ntsiki, Mpume, Mabusi, Nurse, Brenda, and Thuli

               

                I thought a lot on Monday about the differences between living in Canada and living in South Africa. I’ve always been proud to be Canadian though there is much about our country that I am not proud about. Sometimes I look around here and it looks like an earlier version of Canada. Fashion, electronics, transport, and ways of living are sometimes not what I am used to in my generation. Some cloths styles are similar to what I wore as a child and some are like I have seen my parents wear in old photos. Ways of living and priorities are simpler and more meaningful than what I have seen in my own life and many others. There is another side as well as I can see South Africa learning from North America ways of living that are becoming more involved in their lives.

               

                  Now I am not saying that this new way of living is only a learned affect but I think that in some areas it has a lot to do with how people live. What is important in life is changing. There is a lot of materialism seen even among the poor. I can’t help but think that this materialism is partially learned by seeing American’s lives through experiences, books, and television. For me this is really hard to see. There are some areas of my life where I am absolutely certain I am materialistic, but I was also raised by parents who taught me that ‘things’ where not essential to life and that there is a big difference between wants and needs. It is hard to see a mother buying herself new things or a father going to the bar at the end of the month when they are paid when you know that by the middle of the month they will be struggling to buy enough food for their family. Alcohol is cheap but it adds up and sadly some people choose to spend their money this way instead of caring for their families properly. Sometimes I really want to make people understand the dangers of materialism but then I realize that I am no better.

                

               In a place like Richmond I see every day people struggling to feed their families. It is much easier to ignore wants when there are so many needs really close to home. I know from my last trips though that it is hard to come back to Canada and still focus on needs as the North American culture is trying to convince the people every day that wants are really needs. In truth it is hard to come back to a different culture and slowly see myself changing and conforming to those cultural norms that I don’t like to be part of my life. There are a number of things that I don’t want to conform to once I am back home and I might seem a little out of place or odd for doing it. I know I will not be close to being perfect in this way but with the help of God I will do my part and try my best to avoid materialism in my life. I encourage each of you to take a look and at least identify areas in your life that you may be materialistic. Unless areas are identified they cannot be fixed. God give us wisdom to use our money, time, and effort wisely.

                

                Even though I am not always proud of what my country stands for or does, I am still proud to be a Canadian. Though at times it is hard I want to honor my country and the authorities of it as they are, I believe, in God’s hands and in the end we are all responsible to Him. In Canada I am thankful that I as a female can work and attend school, that can walk in the streets without fearing for my safety, and that there are authorities to act on my behalf if any wrong is done against me. I am thankful for the very good health care system I have access to and am now able to be part of through school and for the access to materials and technology that teach and help me in my learning. I am thankful for the freedom of choice and the rights and equality that are given to each individual. Most of all I am thankful for the freedom I have to be a Christian and not be persecuted for it. Thank you God !!!

I pray that your long weekend was enjoyable and safe. Please never take for granted and be thankful for the things you DO have in whatever country you live in !!!

Thanks, Laina