It is at times like these that I have glad that my father made the decision to retire. To understand the impact of his choice you have to know the kind of person my father is. He is the type of individual who firmly believes in going above and beyond what is expected of him. He was (and still is) willing to take on the challenges that most people would shy away from and thereby represent the principles and institutions that he cherishes deeply.
It was not an easy decision to step of the field. But he did and while many factors played into that choice, his health was significant one. My only wish now is that those of us around him will respect his choice and allow my father to rest. He has earned it.
On another but related note...
Our house is a little emptier now with the recent departure of our housemate Yuya. He will truly be missed for his kindness, generosity, spirit, and friendship. I wish this bright young man well and I believe he truly has an amazing future ahead of him.
At his goodbye party that was held the main park in downtown area of Banff, Yuya was asked to say a few words to all his guest (mostly his co-workers). He hopped onto the bench of the picnic table where all the food for his party was and looked out onto the crowd. I don't know remember exactly what his first words were... he spoke in broken phrases underplayed by his Japanese accent... something about loving everyone there and wishing them well. But then he said...
"No fighting."
Everyone laughed at this but the weight of his words really caused me to pause and reflect. I looked around me and I noted that this large group of people, who would have never spent time with each other otherwise, was united because of this young man who didn't even speak perfect English. This made me a bit sad.
One of the things that I looked forward to when marrying a Filipina was having a chance to reconnect with my birth culture. I am very proud of my 3rd culture status (neither Filipino nor Canadian but an amalgamation of both) because I believe it grants me a special insight and perspective into dialogue across cultural lines. But I had often worried how my kids would fair as they are even further from both even in a country like Canada that believes in a mosaic of peoples that celebrate their roots.
I would want my children to see the beauty of my birth culture. I would want them to see the value of family as intepreted by Filipino's (diehard loyalty and faithfulness). I would want them to see the tenacity of a people who have been through so much in their history and how they still choose to see the joy in life and fill in it with laughter every chance they get.
But I also want them to be aware of the negatives. That very same tenacity, hardworking attitude, and will to survive often causes Filipinos to turn on each other. I find it very sad that those who know what it is like to come here and fight to gain a foothold in this country (and finally do a la landed immigrant status) can so easily turn on others who are even newer (a la those who only have a working permit) and see them as a lower and treat them as such. I say this as a naturalized Canadian who has been witness to the process. I can tell you that being Canadian does not make me any better than anyone else. If anything it grants me the ability to serve in a greater capacity rather than to be served.
"No fighting"
Yuya had it right. It grows harder, especially within today's world economy, to grasp the dream of becoming established in this country. More and more people are being denied status for one reason or another. The truth is that only together and united can people have a chance.
I know there is much I still need to learn and much of the issue is not even racial. We are all bound by the human condition. But I simply hope that some of these words will cause people to think and by thinking find the motivation to be a tool of self-less servitude to their fellow-men.
Be the change that you want to see in the world -
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