This past weekend we celebrated the 150th birthday of Canada.  So many stories were shared by fellow Canadians and it got me thinking about mine.

In the late 60s, my parents, who hadn’t met yet, travelled to Canada from Ireland for work. Both planning to stay one year. My dad was looking for handyman or machinist jobs and my mom had been offered a job as a nurse at Humber Hospital in Toronto. She was given a key to her hospital-owned apartment, outfitted with pots, pans and the all-important kettle.

My parents met at an Irish house party and the rest is history.

My mom was a nurse for 40 years and my dad worked taking care of the lines at Labatt Brewery for 35 years.  Although my brother Seamus, my parents and I travelled back to Ireland often to visit our relatives, we were always proud to be Canadian.

I am so thankful my parents settled and became citizens in a place that is one of the safest countries in the world, where you can become what you believe, where education is free, medical treatment is offered to all, any faith can be practiced, and democracy allows us to choose our leaders. May we continue to work on truth and reconciliation with our indigenous peoples and may we remember the beauty and the peace of our home and native land as we celebrate its 150th year. Oh Canada. You had me at hello. #Canada150