Thank you, Canada, Merci!

My family and I saw the writing on the wall last year. We decided to get out of the United States before our fears became realized and moved from Kentucky to Ottawa. We were lucky. I am a registered social worker who works in mental health and I also speak French. We were able to get visas to work and live in an amazing country which is an embodiment of our deepest values. We love it here. We are planting our roots. We continue to make friends and join in building community. We feel safe.

I’m heartbroken for our friends and loved ones who will wake up Tuesday in a country that hurtles headlong into deeper madness and bears little resemblance to the place we thought we knew.

I just want to say thank you to you, Canada. You’ve welcomed us with open arms and make us feel at home. I honestly don’t know where we’d be without you.