What Canadian Citizenship Means to Me

DISCLAIMER: Here are too many reflections on a time I felt all the emotions. I am not a writer so this won’t be good. It will be messy and muddled like my thoughts and emotions were, but I can at least guarantee it’s true ??

Yesterday marked a massive? milestone for me. I became a citizen of Canada.The virtual ceremony was heartwarming, and some of the 100 of us on camera became visibly emotional when the judge had us reminisce about this journey.??

AWE: I still cannot believe the journey and how far I've come since I arrived in Canada. It took so much to decide to come here. It took even more to try and make it here. And even today, if you told me in 2018, "This is what your life would look like," I would have never believed you. So yesterday was just an overwhelmingly emotional day, filled with gratitude, hope, purpose, and excitement.?

GRIT and GRATITUDE: I have heard it said often that Canada is the new American dream, but to me, it feels like I'm living somewhat a Canadian dream. Of course, I know that many newcomers, myself included, went through a Canadian nightmare before we could live the dream. I remember the drudgery of the hardship, rejection and frustration of what I call involuntary demotion. Like you came for a better life and instead found sorrow. Those months were harsh, even for me who had a soft place to land. There were times I thought this moment of citizenship would never come. That moment yesterday renewed my hope and sense of gratitude for holding on when the grip was loose.

COMMUNITY is everything! I was lucky enough to arrive here to family, and not many people have that privilege so I try to be a soft place to land for those who don’t have an Honour Mutete . My lighthouse to Canada who sowed a seed to come many many moons ago. As I achieved my goal, there was a legion of other friends and family celebrating as if they had achieved it too. Let's always remember the incredible community behind every single individual we interact with. There are people sitting and praying for our success, and we must never take these cheerleaders for granted. I've experienced how important they are in every important step I've taken.When I came to Canada, it wasn't just a solo journey. An entire community of friends and family supported me, held me up when I couldn’t hold myself up and breathed life into what seemed like dead situations. GOD is part of my community and ofcourse, none of this would be without him. Let your faith fuel you too.

OWNERSHIP: When I was going through my citizenship tests, I realised that multiculturalism in Canada is not just a value we like listing, but an attribute that we should embody every day. It's not just about putting a bunch of people from different places in one place; it's about mutual interest, mutual engagement, and mutual storytelling that truly creates multiculturalism. The judge emphasised that we don’t just belong to Canada, but now Canada also belongs to us. When you own something, you have a role in stewarding it.

In my everyday life, I am lucky enough to help build the Canada we want, a country that I can be entirely proud of. It's a work in progress, like so many things, but I believe it's the work of every single one of us to make it so.?

IS CANADA NICE? It's not just the government that shapes the culture of a country; it's the small interactions, the kindness we show to our neighbours, the civility we extend to others on public transport, the way we treat service providers, and even the act of showing empathy and support in the face of someone else's pain. Canada is only as good as we want it to be, and I am fully committed to making it the warm, welcoming country it purports to be. I hope that each one of us will step up in our small spheres of influence to ensure that what we see on the news is not our reality, but that Canada is truly a place of compassion, understanding, and unity.?

As I look at the world today, I sometimes fear that we have lost a sense of humanity amidst financial, economic, and psycho-social battles we may not even be aware of. I hope we can all put in a little more effort to be better, to be strong for others, and to be there for each other. Together, we can build a world we are proud of because there is no Planet B. This is it, and we have the power to shape it into a better place.

DUAL HEARTS: I will forever be grateful to the country of my birth, Zimbabwe, for helping to make me, but Canada will join in? growing me. The next elections will be the first time I'm able to vote EVER in my life. Voting is a right so many cannot access. I can’t wait ???

If you made it to the end you get….to go on with your day, but I hope this gives you hope wherever you are in that transition, whether? in-between, not sure if you want to come, not sure if they want to stay, or not sure if you should go. Canada is a place that honours hard work, purpose, and if you allow it, it can even give you a sense of community.