my maple leaf

On a non-political note, last weekend, I did something that I had planned to do for the past five years.

Five years ago, I spent some time traveling across Europe (it was my second time there) and had the privilege of visiting Vimy Ridge. Vimy Ridge being the location of a major battle fought by Canadian troops in the First World War.

Any Canadian who has the chance to visit the massive monument, the preserved trenches, and scattered cemeteries with rows and rows of white tombstones, walks away feeling differently about life. I know that I had a hard time describing my feelings to my friends and family back in Canada when I got back – it was an emotionally charged and exhausting day. For me, it was a life changing experience to visit such a historic Canadian site.

The reason I brought this up is that when I was there, I collected a maple leaf from one of the hundreds of maple trees which were planted there. Since my return to Canada, my Vimy Ridge maple leaf has been kept safe in my 2000 edition of the Canadian Encyclopedia and then between two sheets of wax paper. This weekend, while at my parents house for Easter dinner, I collected my maple leaf, brought it back to my apartment, and framed it.

So, now, after five years, my Vimy Ridge Maple Leaf is proudly displayed on my living room wall.