A Canadian Thanksgiving Greeting: “Canada is Heaven”

We’re celebrating Canada’s Thanksgiving on a beautiful weekend here in Ottawa, the Nation’s capital. And what better way to do this than take a hike in the woods to enjoy the rapidly changing colors and to slow down one’s pace.

Sue, Max and I went out for a hike this afternoon along the Limestone Kiln trails, part of Ottawa’s massive trail network. It was a glorious few hours, with our returning home a little stiff but feeling rejuvenated. Last evening we had a beautiful family supper, which included my cousin and his lovely wife.
Fall is my favourite time of year, when we’re past the summer heat and humidity, for which Ottawa is known, and on the cusp of our nasty winters. The sky is true blue, the colors of the forests magnificent and the air refreshingly clear.

It’s time to pause and consider how fortunate we are to live in Canada. I’ve never forgotten the words of a former neighbour, who lived beside us for a year. He was an engineer from South Korea and was on an interchange with the Government of Canada. The day before he, his wife and young children moved back to Seoul, he came over to give us a small parting gift. He said to me: “Jim, Canada is heaven. Canada is heaven.”

Indeed. But we forget this in our daily “busyness”

Reflect on his words this weekend. And if you’re from another country reading this post, take a moment to think about the things for which you value where you live.
Please take a moment to enjoy a sample of the photos Sue and I took this afternoon….Jim

I do not think of all the misery, but of the glory that remains. Go outside into the fields, nature and the sun, go out and seek happiness in yourself and in God. Think of the beauty that again and again discharges itself within and without you and be happy. (Anne Frank)

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