It was a hot summery Canada Day in 97 when my family and I stood at the Mackenzie Town Hall of Windsor. Proudly we sang ‘Oh, Canada’ in English and French, as we followed a little lyric page given to us at the entrance of the hall. That day, we stood as a family who had many road blocks on the path to Canada, on the path to new chapter in life which could lead to a better and promising future. As the ceremony came to a conclusion and we proudly marched to the magistrate to pass on the new Canadian citizenship cards, we also received toonie that had engraved picture of a polar bear with two cubs. The magistrate continued to mention, that exact toonie was specially made for us, to symbolize the family and importance of the family.
That day we tried to forget the pain we carried on our shoulders for past years: the hunger; poverty; the lack of basic needs in refugee life; the loss of communications with father who was stuck in the hell, also known as Bosnian war and not knowing if he is alive or not; receiving his first phone call after few months into the war and crying endlessly upon hearing his voice, the letters he sent to us that took three or four months to be delivered. In all the horrors witnessed, survived and suffered, we still came strong together and put the whole life behind and took the flight to this new promise land as family.
The cultures and people were different, the troubles of young kids were not the same as what we have witnessed or experienced, yet somehow we still found the ways to belong and to be accepted in the common friend-circles. Even as we kept with our lifestyle, we still allowed the new traditions, new celebrations, and new holidays to enter our life.
The days like today.
On the 11th day of the 11th month, comes a point where time stands still for a minute. But, is one minute enough to state the obvious? Can one minute gives us time to say “Thank you” and “We do remember.”? Can one minute make us understand the sacrifices made for peace, for someone’s better life, for new beginning?
Can one minute explain to the families why there is an empty seat at the dinner desk? Can one minute bring back the fallen? Can one minute change the world? Can one minute bring us peace?
This day reminds me of a song by Pink Floyd which was named “Wish You Were Here.” The lyrics are as follows: “So, so you think you can tell Heaven from Hell/ blue skies from pain/ Can you tell a green field from a cold steel rail? / A smile from a veil? / Do you think you can tell? / And did they get you to trade your heroes for ghosts? / Hot ashes for trees? / Hot air for a cool breeze? / Cold comfort for change? / And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage?”
As we take upon the burden to go into the war-torn countries and rebuild those nations, we also accept the fact that some souls will not return home to their loved ones. However, they will return home. But their return won’t be a happy ending. Upon their return, they will not witness thousands and thousands of people waiting on top of every bridge or overpass waiting for them to pass via “Highway of Heroes”. They will not witness thousand Canadian flags who believe in the cause, who believe that their life meant something, and they died for an important cause.
Every person dies twice, once with the natural death, and the second time when people stop remembering them. We need to take a moment and remember of what this day means to us. What it means to our parents, our grandparents, or to anyone who has been affected by any crisis such as war. And we need to learn to appreciate things we take for granted.
Just keep remembering what this day truly stands for.
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