CANADA'S BIG 1-5-0

We are a people who like to mark milestones.  From the birth of a baby onward we count first the days, the weeks, and then the months until the first year is feted by poking a candle in a cake and singing a song in celebration.  Our years tick by in a succession of such celebrations while we grow and learn and mature.  Time flies by.

As adults we focus less on the individual years and more on measuring by decade. Our friends and family begin to make a big deal out of when we reach "the big 4-0".  And then "the big 5-0".  And then, barely the blink of an eye later, "the big 6-0" and "the big 7-0" too.  By this time the field of competition is starting to thin out; these big days become even more note-worthy.  Before we know it the milestone of 100 years has been achieved and some reporter is sticking a microphone in our face and asking us how we've made it this far.  Who would have thought it was even possible when we uttered our first cry a century ago?

One hundred years is a significant thing when measuring a human lifespan, but in world history it's nothing.  Even in recorded history it barely counts as a blip.  If you compare one measly century with the age of such things as Aztec ruins, Egyptian pyramids, or the mystery that is Stonehenge our time as a country is puny and of no consequence.

And yet, here we are, celebrating our country's birthday: Canada's big 1-5-0.  And puny as that number is, this a big deal and one deserving of celebration.

Countries aren't made - they form.  They coalesce out of the common needs and aspirations of the people who populate the land.  Whether it be the primitive cave-dwellers of the past or the sophisticated 21st centurions we think of ourselves as, our safety, security, and prosperity are still the common focus that bring us together.  The specific threats and currencies have evolved over time but our very nature is wired to understand that there is strength in numbers, power in diversity, and richness in culture when we work and live together in peace.  This is as true now as it always has been - we band together under common goals to make all of our lives richer.

What is different about Canada and a handful of other countries is that we have an actual birth certificate.  We were "born" on July 1st 1867: we know how old we are.  Our formation was not like that of the ancient nations of Europe and Asia, done over millennia.  But,our Fathers of Confederation did take into consideration all the lessons of world history and tried their best to prepare a path into the future with this new experiment of Canada and we formed our wonderful country out of our desire for strength and unity and the wisdom to follow their leadership.

To be sure we are a work in progress; we have made mistakes but we have gotten some things right too.  As nations go we are just barely cutting our baby teeth but we are healthy and strong and other nations look up to us.  As we step into the future we are poised for a leadership role.

Typically when we observe a birthday it tends to be a look back at the journey that has brought us to this point, but as we sing Oh Canada in celebration this year and take in the fireworks at the end of this day it seems like the perfect time in history to turn our attention and look in the other direction - toward the future.  Let this be a celebration of where we are headed as Canadians.

                                 HAPPY CANADA DAY !