Family Day: Made to Measure

Family Day: Made to Measure Metaphors

Part I: The Extended Family

The baby was born to the family of Nations in the summer of  1945. The name, for the little darling, was the United Nations Charter or NUC, pronounced  with a short U sound, never long, and, yes, the C is hard. The relatives were the 50 nations and they had reached an agreement despite differences and similarities inherent in family dynamics.There was no need for a book on the best of baby names, polls, roman numerals as in royalty. Examples like Henry VII or Louis II spring to mind.  Exhaustive searches  through family trees that honour past generations were avoided. The global family just landed on this name as the simplest most natural evolution for identity. Made more obvious in conclusion to a grueling World War II, and the end of the fascist regime. They shook hands, toasted the new arrival and oohed and aahed over the fuzz of fine print, gurgles of delight in new measures and the eyes (Is brought together) in purposeful intent as  Givers of Care. I would say they were also the visionaries into human nature and the power hungry with eyes of their own.

The potential existed, in this chubby cherub of an international pact, to combat the atrocities of war, tear down the derelict passages of despotism and lend human rights a hand. The child, humanism, would no longer be left to the elements of chance and or a world populace that promised, vaguely, at times, to treat each other well. Whenever and wherever human rights were thrown and left for dead in a pit, or tossed in the back alley, starved behind bars,  hung from a limb or ground under wheels, NUC would be found setting things right with the support of the global family and to the general delight of the populace, human. Yes, give that baby a cape, insignia, hat, a cool toolbelt, Olympic medal and or tattoo. I will leave it to your invention, remembering that Batman and Superman are, obviously taken, but generally encapsulate the essence of NUC in the sphere of a combatant for peace and compassion.

As promised, the UN has remained vigilant uncovering a heinous record of intolerance and human rights abuses that accost the concept of humanism and break the scales of sense and sensibility. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is under investigation as story after story unfolds from political prisoners and citizens in North Korea that tell of the atrocities they suffer. It is out there in digital print across content. We hang our heads, sigh deeply but do not turn away from recognizing the other side of being human in this world. We are thankful for the Givers of Care  who stand up to refute those who could care – less as their agenda is set in a direction of their own making, fired by greed or power or  irrelevant relevancy.

I play with words as a mild distraction from the pain of truths that tells us that we have not yet moved on from strife, people’s inhumanity to people. I set this down in black and white next to the  equally powerful reality that it was the global family of nations that brought us a Charter in 1945  as a contender.  Foresight enables us now, a return to the equilibrium of justice, through their work. I am in awe of  the power of the pen that unveils the wrongs in stories coming out of North Korea. The gift for us, from Nations of a signed Charter. These people and their stories will not be buried  under a pile of leaflets, fastened to the slush pile,  paraded as ads or passed off next to political red tape.  We have the means for intervention from the global family.  NUC is all grown up and prepared to do his family proud. :) 

Part II: The Family Nucleus

In Canada, the Trudeaus’ gave birth to a son, Justin. He now leads a liberal convention this week with a focus on economics and middle class families. We experience the tiny rips and tears in the fabric of making a living. The material has been slightly overstretched from one of  many factors, in particular, the rise of emergent markets in Asia. Justin has, thankfully, undergone a bit of a growth spurt:  popularity and a real ability to build an incredible, dynamic team. This makes his National family proud and hopeful for the future.   

The suggestion is that maybe we will find new markets in Mexico, US, Europe and in sourcing here, as we are already in India and China. Harper, the stringent yet formidable family father, has a maturity and level of expertise that is not to be downplayed.

On this family day and  holiday, from where I sit, I am thrilled that we now have a liberal leader, Justin Trudeau, emerging.  I have watched him grow and now he just might challenge the current leader in more than voice. I have always appreciated the best and variety in choices, and so I add the NDP to the mix and look forward to the federal election of the future. I hope our youth will take notice, regain optimism in the political process.  I am thanking you in advance for your interest and action as a country and a democracy gains steam through the votes of the many. The youth are no exception. This family works better with a full house. :)

Part III: Familial Ties  

Our family breakfasted on oats with apple cubes. We enjoyed the brown sugar feel of  sprinkled wheat germ on the warm lumpy oatmeal. Grapefruit, coffee and water were the accompaniments of our gathering as we were ensconced in front of the fire place with plates, bowls and beverages, all within easy reach. 

After the warmth of companionship,  we headed in our own directions. We are not a young family. We planned to meet up again in a couple of days and head up north for the Feb. break to ski, continue renovations and learn more of each other, in this phase of family. Each of us will pick a day to cook, and plan the activities for all, when we reunite.

We are now a mini community with deep roots. This is the natural evolution of our family base from the kids at single digits, then teens and now young adults. My husband and I have grown into listeners, but we refute the stereotype, in our young adult kids,  that casts us out of the story and or the telling side of things. We are educated beings with many life lessons to share. We avoid the pitfall of over parenting them as if they were 6. Conversations abound, emotions fluctuate and we do not know the formula for being a perfect family. Maybe it has to do with relativity and the whole gravity of things, E=MC squared. :)  We have a slightly messy ,wholly immeasurable version of family but we are happy and interested in each other, the extended family and the world outside of us.We are tied by our love, our memories, our sense of the surmountable and in. I guess we would say that we are a family that is made to measure according to the dna, environments, cause and effect of our times. The value of family and friends does not underscore our thoughts or permeate our footings but  just  floats, shares our space, like the air we breathe.

Happy Family Day. 

This is a group we met out on the ice and snow a few days ago. Adorable!!! They have an astute sense of fun and plenty of room for outdoor adventure with family at the centre.

 Resources: The Guardian, CBC Radio 1,  History of the United Nations web site