Our American Neighbors Could Teach Us A Few Things - Happy Canada Day

Many people around the world both love and detest Americans. They would love to be able to live in the United States and perhaps realize their own "American Dream". And yet the U.S. has been criticized and reviled for its belligerent, patronizing "Father Knows Best" attitude about how the rest of the world should run its affairs.

Well I recently adopted a habit from our American neighbors that I think more Canadians could do well to adopt. That is the habit of showing your national pride by having a flag flying at your residence. Yesterday, for the first time ever, I attached a Canadian flag to our house. And surprisingly, it brought tears to my eyes.

I've always been a proud and grateful Canadian. We're not a perfect country, no one is. But I tell you, having travelled around the world in my younger days, every time I came back to Canada I wanted to kiss the ground and give blessings for living in such a beautiful, mostly gracious, mostly loving and caring country.

And yet it seemed "weird" to fly our national flag.

Yesterday, the day before Canada Day, I felt this urge I could no longer resist. I dug out the tissue-wrapped flag that had been given to me as a gift years ago and kept in the back of a cupboard. I zipped out to the hardware store to get some cord to tie it with. And then I climbed on the chair on the porch and then railing to reach up and tie that flag to the ceiling of the porch.

And when it caught the evening breeze and flew out in all its glory, this ball of love opened in my heart and tears appeared in my eyes and I went down to the sidewalk to make sure it looked ok and was flying the way it should be. And I gave great thanks for being a Canadian. And thanks for our American neighbors for showing me how easy it is to express your love of your country.

Happy Canada Day everyone!