I've almost been in Canada for six months. It'll be six months on the 15th of March and the time has flown by. I've had some thoughts about it that have really been brought to the forefront by the Olympics of all things.
Many of my Canadian friends ask if I'm torn between who I'm rooting for, or joke that I better be rooting for Canada. Initially I thought that I wasn't rooting for anyone and today I realized (or realised for my Canadian readers)that no, I can't deny it, I'm rooting for Team USA. Despite being a resident (though not permanent resident yet) of Canada I am rooting for who I am and I don't think I'll ever change.
This morning Alex, Sebastian, and I were watching the ice dancing that he had PVR'd for me. As the Canadians were presented with their gold medals and "Oh Canada" played I had a twinge of sadness, sadness that I would be raising Sebastian away from my home, his first home, out of the United States. He would never be saying the Pledge of Allegiance each morning at school or singing the Star Spangled Banner. I wanted to cry and then felt really stupid.
Because, if he wasn't being raised in Canada he would be raised in the States and wouldn't his Dad feel the same way? Probably not (Alex roots for Holland in the Olympics) but I still feel like maybe I'm being a little unfair.
Unfair and homesick. There are things I like about living here and then there are many things I love and miss about living in the States. However, this is our choice and someday this will be my new home where America the Beautiful lives on in my heart and through my son as I teach him that he is lucky boy who can wave two flags.
3 comments:
Great post! :)
I've been where you are. A month after I moved here, 9/11 happened and I felt so homesick and out of sorts. Admittedly, it took a couple years for Canada to feel like 'home' but now I wouldn't have it any other way. Plus I get to cheer for two countries in the Olympics ;)
Nice post Jenn. I'd probably feel the same way. Whenever I've been to Vancouver, it seems so much like home that it seems weird to me that they don't fly the US flag. Europeans have the luxury of many close borders that allow them to move freely between different countries and cultures, so I imagine that they grow used to seeing other countries' flags. But in big a$$ countries, like the US and Canada, we have so many wonderful, different cultures all "united" under our one respective flag. It's comforting to go someplace as "foreign" as Florida or New Mexico and still see the familiar flag. OK... rambling. But I get what you are saying. You will just have to teach him to be both American and Canadian.
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