July 1 means the world to me

The Life Changer

Black marker on drawing paper

11 x 14 inches

Barbara Muir © 2014

This week is the week of Canada Day on July 1.  Fire crackers are
already going off in the neighbourhood. Unlike in past years
not as many people are putting up Happy Canada Day signs,
or the red and white Maple Leaf flag.  The invasion of Ottawa, our capital
this winter, changed our feelings about the flag.  It was used
as a symbol of the trucker convoy who positioned themselves

in front of the parliament buildings and stayed for weeks,
because they wanted "freedom" mostly it seemed from masks,
and the vaccines that have been saving our lives during this
pandemic. And apparently they are going back for Canada Day.

 
So we won't be hanging a flag like we have before this whole

fiasco happened.   The front of our house is already
white, with red shutters, (white and red are the colours of
the Canadian Flag), so we've got the theme going.

But for me Canada Day will always mean something infinitely
more important.  Because Canada Day was also the day I
went into the hospital with labour pains. And I had my baby boy,
Christopher, the next day.

This image is of a mother and child looking at one
another after the birth for the first time.  That mother
and child are me and Christopher.  Yes I wasn't always
blonde.  The drawing is far from perfect, but I think
it gets that shock, absolute love, and wonder on the
mother's face, and the shock of being in the world --
and "who are you? " on the baby's face.

And what a delight that baby, now a grown man, is in our
lives.

Happy Birthday Week Christopher.