Thankful

Today, I took the kids to the War Museum. I wish that I could take every single one of my students past, present and future to this museum. It was amazing and it blew my mind. I stood in awe of the sacrifices men and women have made for my freedom. I am so thankful for my babies and I am so thankful that they have been born free!
The history teacher in me wanted to spend all day (and the next 3 days) walking slowly, taking it all in and reading every exhibit and display. The mother of 2 little people realized that this was not possible. We walked at toddler speed and I gave Simon a pint-sized history lesson.
I was feeling pretty reflective on our walk back to the hotel. I found it incredibly sad that, after leaving the museum filled with gratitude for our freedom, I was confronted with some hate-filled graffiti on the walls of a pedestrian bridge. It was pretty shocking to read, especially after leaving such a powerful display of what this kind of hate leads to. Then, the kids and I walked by the Parliament Buildings (I love that walking by these buildings has been an every day experience) and I was again reminded of how important democracy really is!

If you're ever in Ottawa, make this a stop - it was well worth it.