When we arrived my understanding of what was happening was very unclear, I was only 8. All I knew, I was coming to Canada and My father had told me he had a teddy Bear for me so big in fact it was my size. I was so excited.
When we exit the airport, my first view was the snow and it was so cold, it was the month of December.
At the beginning it was not easy, we were a family of 5 living in a bachelor apartment.
With very little money our family outings became blocks and blocks of walking, snow up to our knee, my father gave us Laura Secord chocolate bars to keep us going.
Those were the days I now cherish the most, walking, talking and playing in the snow with no worries and no looking behind our shoulders. For all these years, I was like a bird, I just flew everywhere. But, I knew there was something. When my father was talking to my aunt, it was politics. They would argue. Every time they talked about politics, he would get so angry.
When I was 40 years old I ask my father why we came to Canada. As we sat on the kitchen table at his cottage he told me how his life was and our family was in danger. In 1973 Chile was faced with a military dictatorship. My father was forced to look for a better life outside our homeland. He came to Toronto in the late 70’s, not knowing anyone.On his own he learned to do laundry, cooked and worked in anything and everything that came his way to be able to send money to support us. 6 months later he sends for us.
I never had thanked my father and mother for all they gave up, leaving their homeland, their families, their friends, their everything. Because of their sacrifice, I got a future. A life with no worries. At my age now, having kids, and seeing my grandkids, I realize what my father and mother gave up for me, for my children, and my grandchildren, who will never have to live that. I am blessed.