I am Canadian 🇨🇦 .
First-generation.
The first in my family to be born here.
A bridge between where we came from and where we are. I may not always love what this country has become, But I’m still proud to call it mine.
I’m Canadian.
Fiercely apologetic. Politely patriotic. Someone who’s grown up with a warm heart In a land that’s cold more than half the year. I’ve known the kind of winters that turn school field trips Into maple syrup spun on snow And jackets zipped up to my nose.
I am Canadian.
Where every road trip began at a Tim Hortons drive-thru. My mom with her double-double, Me with a hot chocolate that turned into an Iced Capp And, eventually, a double-double of my own.
Where Family Channel felt like the only channel that mattered. I grew up on reruns of shows I thought the entire world watched: Degrassi, Life with Derek, and Naturally Sadie.
I’m Canadian.
Where the mountains don’t need postcards Because they’re in our backyards. Where chip flavors are weird and wonderful,Where YouTube blocks things like we live on another planet (Not just next door). Where you might see a moose cross the road And you wave like it’s totally normal.
I’ve lived a life where I’ve always had an extra toque in the car, Where Z is Zed, Where a warm day in March is a trap, And where our two seasons are winter and construction.
I am Canadian.
And while I’m still learning how to navigate my roots and my future,
While I question what this country is becoming
I also know how far we’ve come.
And I’m not sorry for loving this messy, kind, complicated place I call home.
Because I am Canadian.
And I’m proud of it.
🇨🇦
AN: inspired by a video I saw on Insta
