"O Canada" on a train
As we grew, Anna insisted we learn about Canadian current issues and pop culture. As children of the late '70s and early '80s, we sang along to Bruce Cockburn's "Wondering Where the Lions Are." We sat through the heart-wrenching and slightly confusing (for children) Canadian-made film Child Under a Leaf. She read us Farley Mowat's The Dog Who Wouldn't Be and tried (unsuccessfully) to teach us about the political parties in Ottawa.
But the most important lesson our Canadian mother taught us was to be proud to be Canadian.
Once, during a trip to the old country, we were riding a train from Rome to Milan. To ease the boredom, the five of us began singing songs. At one point I remember looking around at my siblings standing tall and proud as we belted out "O Canada" — much to the misery of our seatmates (singing does not run in my family).
A new generation of "Canadian parents"
I now have children of my own. When I attend child-friendly events, I love watching new-to-Canada families — especially families with a "Canadian parent" (an obviously older sibling). I watch the child ordering off a menu for the whole family, or decoding the schedule posted on a bus shelter.
I'm always tempted to approach the younger siblings and tell them how fortunate they are. I know that without my Canadian mother's ingenuity, my other siblings and I would never have experienced such a rich Canadian childhood (shame about the Tang though).
Anna's motivation
Recently, I asked Anna how she felt being saddled with such a challenging task. She told me that guiding us into Canadian culture was a duty she took seriously. "After all," she remarked, "if you kids ended up with poor grammar or not knowing who the prime minister was, it would have reflected badly on me." Spoken like a true mother!
As for my parents, now both in their 70s, they still wait every month for Anna to come over to fill out their cheques.
In celebration of our home and native land, prepare our patriotic Canada day menu any day of the year.
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 | This article was first printed in the Summer 2009 issue of Homemakers Magazine. Click to subscribe online and never miss an issue. |
