I read an article this morning about a mother who is coming to Edmonton to visit her daughter. Her daughter emigrated to Canada from Ireland a year ago. This mother was talking about how Ireland is loving Canada right now, how their young people are considering moving here so they can find work. With the big crash in Ireland, Canada is seen as an ideal destination for the young and unemployed of Ireland. This mother (and father) were traveling to Edmonton this Christmas to celebrate the season with their (much loved) daughter.
I could relate. I may not have come from Ireland, but I came from Southern Ontario all the way out west to Alberta and have lived here for more than 29 years. While my reasons for coming are different, my reasons for staying were motivated by the fact that I had made a life here - raised a family, had a good job and made incredible friends in the community. Like all other immigrants to Canada, you left another life behind and forged ahead to create a new life in a new land. The pull of "home" is always tugging at us because family is family. Blood ties run deep and you hang on to the lifeline it is, knowing that you share deep roots. At the same time you start to grow new roots that sprout all over and spread in this new soil of opportunity. Some of the shoots will grow big and strong and others will whither and die as you negotiate the journey that is your life. Throughout it all you will realize that you create community wherever you go, that you will be blessed with friends that are the "family you choose or family that chooses you". Some friends will last a lifetime, others will be there only briefly and some will not seem friendly at all - but they are all part of your family, the human family, and each and every one of them will help you on your way.
In 2009-2010 we found out how deep our roots were as our family was challenged with life-altering events. It seemed to start with the death of my father, Jim Mackenzie, on November 19, 2009, but in truth, it always starts with life - a life we were all blessed to have been a part of and now were being called to celebrate and commune with in a new way. While dad's physical body was dead, his spirit lived on and gave us all strength to continue on our journey. Mom's declining memory and the need to bring her home to Alberta for six months allowed us to discover the beautiful person Alda is at every stage of her journey. She brought us great joy in her daily laughter and incredible capacity for enjoying the moments of life that really are worth living for - the sunset, the moon in the night sky, the birds in the backyard, the children playing across the street, the blow-by-blow details of our neighbour's comings and goings, the excitement of seeing spring arriving, the hearing of the dogs barking, the simple pleasure of ice cream for dessert, the smile of greeting for our arrivals and the newness of every moment, every day. It was like living the movie "Groundhog Day" and getting to do the same day over and over until we got it right - it is being there for others that really brings us great joy and peace.
Seeing our children for brief or prolonged periods were special. Joey when he came to celebrate grampa's life at his funeral, Denise when we could make it to the city or she returned home for breaks from her nursing program at the U of A and Robert in the summer when he came from Munich, Germany to share in the burying of dad's ashes on a beautiful August summer day. We were reminded that our love for our children is never-ending no matter how old they become (Denise - 21, Joey - 29, Robert - 31). While some of our children struggled with illness this past year we realized that sometimes all we can do is pray and know that God walks with them every step of the way.
And ultimately that's what we learned this past year. God walks with us every step of the way in the many encounters with God's family (all of creation) that we had. Our immediate family were there to lend a hand, to hold on to each other and to send encouraging words. Our extended families provided us with connections to our past, our present and our future - opening up their homes for visits, sending memories/stories of our parents and keeping us connected when we so needed to be. Our friends were the glue we needed when our lives were spread so thin. They chipped in where they could, gave us much needed opportunities for social gatherings, helped us laugh at ourselves and let us cry when we needed. Life as usual goes on and we know that we are not alone, that we are being lovingly embraced along the way.
We quit counting our blessings this past year because we couldn't count that high. We are infinitely blessed not just in the day-to-day - good jobs, warm shelter, good food - but in the most important aspect of life - LOVE. Every moment was filled with it and we hope that you can FEEL THE LOVE, now and forever.
The very best to you - a part of our family - the human family - may you find peace, joy and LOVE today.
