Resolve

Living in Canada and having a continuous direct family line which dates back centuries to the 1600’s makes these times quite interesting. My ancestors lived mostly in francophone Quebec and were present when critical conflicts took place. Some of these included long wars, a few were shorter 'battles', some did not include military force, and some even occurred within the country. Canada's history is more rich and complex than most realize, or wish to acknowledge.  

In my first book 'Buoyant Passages' published in 2023, I wrote the following:
The world is already so much more open than it was when I was a kid. Diversity and different beliefs easily cross borders and have become mainly global, for all to enjoy and critique..... We belong to a grand macrocosm that has demonstrated time and time again that we are all linked. Everyone has a role to play and a responsibility in their broader community to advance into the future with a light that shines brightly.

I stand by those words...nothing has changed for me. At the core is living a life of respect for others, and being a valuable member of your community.  And for a community to thrive (no matter the size), the members of it must take care of it and not become completely reliant on others. 

When I was born the Canadian flag had recently been revealed to the world, Canada was still on a high from an international exposition (Expo '67), and the country was gearing up to host the Olympics for the first time. During those years, authors, songwriters, poets and other artists took centre stage to define Canada. They dreamed of it, wrote about it, sang about it, and exported it to the world... It lifted  our pride. Some would say Canadians lost their way a little bit in the decades that followed. I’m not one for going back in time, although I must admit that returning to some of that maple leaf 'resolve' feels good!!