 |
| Photo: Kyla Macdonald |
On the morning of June 15, 2011, the city of Vancouver was in the grip of Stanley Cup fever. Even those who didn't normally watch hockey, like me, were jumping on the bandwagon. Amidst the hope of the beloved Canucks claiming the Cup for their own, our newest little player, my grandson, Aiden, quietly made his way into the world at 5:43 am.
"Wouldn't it be wonderful for him to be born on the same day that the Canucks won the Stanley Cup?" we mused. My son even joked about naming him Stanley.
As anyone who follows hockey knows, the Canucks did not win the Cup. This, in itself, is somewhat disappointing but not insurmountable. We are proud of our team and the efforts that they put forth to get them as far as they did but clearly, the better team won.
What is truly disappointing sickening sad scary is the events that took place downtown after the game. We watched in horror and disgust as these little hoodlums took out their anger at life under the thinly veiled guise of support for their team. Make no mistake, these were not hockey fans and this had nothing to do with hockey other than the fact that it gave them an excuse to gather and incite.
My heart broke as I watched the shameless acts of defiance and rage. I was saddened for those youth who were so lost that they felt anger was the only way to express themselves, saddened for the parents of some of those youths who would bear the brunt of their children's actions in the form of blame and guilt, even though they had done all that they could to provide a loving, stable home and saddened that this day, the birthday of my grandson, was tainted by these senseless acts.
While it is important to note that "hurt people hurt people", we all have choices. What causes some to make these negative, self-destructive choices, I don't know. But I know that I can make a choice to remain loving and positive in this volatile world that we live in. I can choose to provide my grandson with as much love as possible and hope that this is enough. And I can choose to diminish the effects of those senseless, angry acts by not dwelling upon them.
For me, June 15, 2011 is the day my grandson, Aiden, was born. That is all.
11 comments:
That's lovely. And congratulations! As a fellow British Columbian, I totally agree with what you said.
Stopping by from TRDC - love your blog title and tagline.
Thank you MamaRobin J. You are a neighbor so you really can appreciate the heart sickness that we all felt to witness these atrocities. For me, though I won't forget them completely, they are already starting to fade as my grandson's presence in this world becomes stronger. Focus on the love.
My blog title comes from my very first post when I wrote a poem about my favourite things. I have always loved red doors because to me they signify a welcoming beacon. I finally have one of my one. The ramekin portion is a nod to my borderline OCD as I find it very satisfying to see them all lined up when I am cooking. lol
My tag line? I believe that the best writing has to come from the heart.
It is sad that hurt people hurt people. It's happened in cities where the teams won, too. It's unexplainable and deplorable.
Congratulations on your grandson, though! I think the memory of the negative that happened may be one to save for much later in his life, if only to share how not to react to a favorite team's loss (or win).
Lex - Thank you. You are right. It may be a very good example of "what not to do."
It was an embarrassment to all Canadians, and I'm so sorry that it marred your special day. Lex made an excellent point as well - that people have done this in winning cities too. I guess my Canadian conceit made me think we wouldn't behave in such a fashion...so disappointing.
I love that you choosing to focus on the positive and love in life -- instead of the negatives. Hugs to you and congrats on the arrival of your little bundle of grandparent pride!
Congratulations on your little grandson. It's frustrating when a few bad apples make a whole group of people seem bad.
btw. Did you mean June 15th? It says July. At first I thought it said January and was super confused, but that's just me. ;)
Ixy - Yes, it is an embarrassment. Those that incited the riot were there, specifically, for that purpose. It had nothing to do with winning or losing.
Annie - Thank you. You have to focus on the positive otherwise the negative will consume you.
Anastasia - Thank you. Yes, it was June 15th. Thanks for catching that. I have changed it.
Beautiful! Of course, love conquers all, doesn't it?
"Hurt people hurt people"
I've never heard that before, but it has touched me. So, so true. Thank you for the beautiful post!
So important...we need more light in this angry world.
Post a Comment