A Thanksgiving message to Ottawa: It's gratitude

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Thanksgiving weekend, like other family and societal holidays, can bring mixed feelings. Some of us are excited to travel, reconnect, and spend time with family and friends. Others feel the pressure to be positive while worrying about medical test results, family dynamics, or an empty place at the table.

And, of course, the looming Alberta referendum is present for all of us, stirring feelings that range from hope to anger, anxiety to uncertainty.

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Gratitude invites us to pause, look more deeply, and remember what grounds us. What is precious. It gives us strength when life feels unsettled and uncertain.

There is plenty that feels unsettling these days. A drive down almost any major roadway reveals signs and messages designed to heighten our fears. The rallying cry of the separatist campaign is: “Send Ottawa a Message.”

To me, the message feels childish, arrogant, mean-spirited — and angry.

However, it also made me wonder: What if we send a different kind of message? One rooted not in grievance, but in gratitude.

First, thank you for the grounding and steadiness of our federal leadership.

I am proud of how our federal government has responded to our broken relationship with the United States — with confidence, courage, generosity, humility, and wisdom.

We have resisted childish name-calling. We have remained committed to a united Canada and acted, in our typically Canadian fashion, with humility and kindness. That kind of leadership takes courage. It deserves our recognition and our gratitude.

I am also grateful that, at this pivotal moment, our different political parties have found ways to stand together. We have a legitimate opposition whose job is to challenge and critique the government — and yet it understands that some moments call for unity. I am grateful for political leaders who know the difference.

I love our oceans, rivers, forests, mountains, lakes, national parks, and prairie landscapes. This land is part of what makes Canada such a remarkable place to call home.