Just Pondering: Expanded horizons

By ALLYSON MCCAW on May 25, 2023.

My family just had the incredible experience of celebrating our son’s wedding to an extraordinary lady from Iran.

Our world has expanded so much by learning her traditions and meeting her family. We are truly blessed to have her in our lives and overjoyed at how happy our son is.

During their courtship we have learned how incredibly and really unbelievable things are for her family still in Iran. My new daughter in law holds two Masters in coding and genetics, and is working toward her PhD. However, back home there have been mass poisonings among girls going to school. She often is overcome with emotion when discussing the political climate in her home land. Women are not respected and some are actually dying because of their gender. Unbelievable. 

I guess I am so struck by the fact that we speak freely, with no repercussions, here in Canada about anything and everything. We never hesitate to speak freely about our religion, politics or gender. We take all of it for granted, never doubting or fearful. But this is a special place in the world, our Canada, and I fear if we are not careful it could be lost.

Therefore this is my plea that everyone who is eligible to vote on May 29, please do so. Let’s not sit by and let the opportunity to cast a vote for whomever we chose go to waste. Realize that we are so very, very fortunate.  It is so very frustrating to learn about low voter turnout when it really is only a half-hour out of our day. 

So go to your voting station and cast a ballot. Think of all the others in this world who cannot!

Stay well.

Allyson McCaw is a Medicine Hatter.

9
-8