While watching Alexandre Bilodeau win his gold medal tonight in men's moguls and how his family and all Canadians showed so much emotion after his winning run, I began to think of Canadians and of how open they are with their emotions.
Canadians express their emotions in so many ways. Through tears, through conversation, through smiles and the raising of hands in the air, through hugs and words and gifts and sometimes, heads hung low.
Certain sights in Canada bring great emotions to my heart, feelings of pride and awe and amazement. Sometimes it's just a sunset, sometimes the way the water is sparkling across the water, sometimes the way gulls are gliding on an updraft, or sometimes pictures my sons send me of themselves and their friends snowboarding high on top of Big White in British Columbia.
We live in a beautiful country. A country that abounds with wilderness and places still as they were thousands of years ago. Cities of great culture and breath-taking architecture. People who are open, friendly and caring.
Shane Koyczan, a young Canadian poet who read his poem 'We Are More' at the opening of the olympics, defined Canada so well with his words. Never have I heard someone say so much about what Canada is in such a beautiful and artistic way as Shane did.
Thank you, Shane. You've put into words what the rest of us only could know in our hearts, but didn't have a way to express.
