I grew up in a little prairie town in Saskatchewan, Canada. So, when I decided as a young adult that I wanted to move and work overseas, I was definitely doing something outside of the box. I did not do this alone--I did it with my husband and three children aged 5, 4 and 2. I knew there were those that questioned whether I could do this but I wasn't concerned with what others thought. That being said, everything I learned from this little town, I took with me--and these lessons have been with me all my life. So, even though I left it all behind, physically, the town and its people came with me in my heart and soul. This poem is a tribute to this little town of Borden.
Everything I Learned in Life I Learned in Borden
Life lessons learned in childhood years
Stay firm—a solid base,
My lessons learned in Borden years
Life storms cannot erase.
The joy of simple beauty in
Blue skies, bright stars, gold grain,
And seasons shift, as faultless friends
Bring life—and hope remains.
At home I learned of love and joy
Together work or play,
And comfort in my small-town world
To be kind and neighbourly.
Small-town grown-ups also showed
Commitment to hard work
With youthful eyes I watched them all
Press on—to never shirk.
In little country church I learned
Of God’s amazing grace,
To sing of being lost and found
Redeemed I found my place.
At hockey games and curling rink
I learned the pride of sport,
Of loyalty, community,
To be Canadian at heart.
In school I learned more social skills,
And knowledge set me free,
Champlain, French verbs, Shakespeare, Einstein,
Fed curiosity.
To be or not to be that is
The question we must ask,
And mine led me to far off lands
To heed a call and task.
But not without rememberings—
And all that Borden taught
Me came, still comes, in homesick thoughts
Of love—of home—of God.
