This weekend is Canadian Thanksgiving. A time when we Canadians get together with family & friends, share what we're thankful for, eat turkey with all the trimmings and share times full of love and laughter. A time when in my "selfish" world I could only think of how much I was missing out on while being a billion miles overseas in Italy.
Generally, our (or at least my) "thankfuls" are often attributed to family, love, support, and success. Now these are usually celebrated on a very personal level. But this weekend as I sit here in a new country, still foreign to me, I experienced a heart-breaking situation in Genova that showed me the effects of these on a global level.
This weekend in Genova residents in many parts of the city suffered devastation. Rain started pouring down last week, seemingly unending.
Then, Thursday came.
The sky opened up and dropped buckets of sadness onto Genova, and it was only a few hours later that the river Bisagno reared it's ugly head onto the city. Incapable of sustaining that which plowed down upon it, the banks of the river succumbed to the pressure and the river broke - fleeing with apparent hatred, or was it freedom, into the city. As it eagerly raced between buildings and slid along streets people could only take cover and hope for the best. As morning came, it was quickly apparent as to what was left in the wake of the ravenous water.
Mud, immobilized vehicles, sunken earth, shards of life - these were only a part of what residents in the downtown core and other parts started to deal with. Shops, homes, lives....forever changed. Where was one to start?
And what did Genoa do? What any great city would do.
They answered the rallied cry of a community not willing to stay down when pummelled. People, young and old, born and raised in Genoa, new to the area, Italian and expat, with caring heart, collaborated their efforts and raised Genoa's head to say "You can't keep me down!". Now while I did not witness this beautiful form of human spirit first hand, I've heard numerous accounts from friends of that which happened in the wake of Breaking Bisagno.
The physical effects on me: a few days off school and a blocked route out of my area meaning a little longer trek.
The impact of those effects: NIL! Absolutely nil compared to those of many of my fellow Genovians.
The mental & emotional effects: feeling the spirit of a strong community, experiencing a love that made me hold my head up high and call Genova "home" with conviction.
Original route to school. Wall collapsed blocking the street.
So this weekend, as I sit here missing my family, wishing I was over indulging in turkey and stuffing, heartbroken for that which I'm missing out on back home in Canada, my mind reflects upon being thankful. So here is my "I'm Thankful For" list for 2014:
Yes, I'm still and always will be thankful for an extremely supportive and loving family. I wouldn't be where I am today without them. They are my rocks, my conscience, my inner core - to which I can only hope everyone in the world has at least one person like I have in their lives.
I'm thankful that our world has people who, in the face of tragedy, come together to show their love for a community. I've seen and been a part of this time and time again, but it hit close to home during this time of year for me while being away from family.
I'm thankful to see the beautiful face of humanity shine through at all ages and in all places.
I'm thankful to be living in a community that has so much love, patriotism, pride, and courage.
I'm thankful for the love people have in this world.......
For more information on the flooding in Genoa October 2014:
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/10/12/us-italy-flood-idUKKCN0I00G620141012
http://www.ilsecoloxix.it/p/genova/2014/10/10/ARauaGDC-straripano_fereggiano_abitanti.shtml
No comments:
Post a Comment