Reconciliation Day

Tina Simpson
3 min readOct 1, 2022
@pickjoy at Unsplash

Yesterday, I found out that I did not have to work today, in honour of Truth and Reconciliation Day in Canada.

I felt guilty because it didn’t make sense to me that I get to relax in honour of the sacrifice of Indigenous children. Shouldn’t we be working harder?

My second reaction was joy at a whole unexpected day of peace……

And then it hit me like a slap in the face.

PEACE

Peace is something we take for granted.

I woke up this morning and got to choose what I wanted to do with my day. I got to open my patio door, and lightly place my foot on the dewy grass, welcoming the sun. Coffee in hand, sitting on my couch. A blank slate of opportunity before me.

Dog walks, ice cream, maybe the beach? I live on a beautiful island and I had nothing but infinate adventures ahead of me.

I see my children emerging from their rooms, full of inspiration and ideas and the freedom to express themselves.

Suddenly, I think of how tragic it would be if someone came through the front door and told my kids that their way of life and thinking was wrong and they needed to leave our house immediately to correct it.

I would have to be held back as my babies were torn from my arms, so that they could be educated…

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Tina Simpson
Tina Simpson

Written by Tina Simpson

Mediator. Supporting humans making healthy connections with each other. Anti-violence and high risk Social Services provider. Lover of eccentric brains. ❤️

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