Changing seasons, changing times
As I hear my feet crunch on the frosty ground beneath me and feel the crisp winter air whirling around me, I think of change. When winter comes along, I miss the orange and yellow painted leaves and the fall mushrooms, but I also look forward to all that winter brings. I love driving up to the snowy mountain and hitting the slopes with my family, drinking warm hot chocolate, and building awesome snow forts. With every new season, I feel excited and hopeful for new things to come.
Hi! My name is Abby. I’m an 11-year-old who loves crafting, dancing, and cooking up things in the kitchen. I’ve grown up in the Comox Valley my whole life and, believe me, I’ve seen lots of change.
At school, we learn about reconciliation and how it’s important to learn about the past to make the future a brighter place. My class painted orange rocks with meaningful messages like “Be kind” and “Every child matters” for our show of reconciliation. We placed the rocks in the woods behind our school, so when people walk by they might think about the children who went to residential schools.
I think it’s important to learn about the K’ómoks first nations. When my mom was little, she didn’t even know the traditional land she grew up on. Now we celebrate Indigenous people and acknowledge what they went through, so we can bond and be a better country. I am so lucky to know about the Indigenous people of the Comox Valley.
I recently found out that my great-great grandma in Newfoundland was a Qalipu Mi’kmaq. Back then, she hid her culture and didn’t celebrate it. I feel proud that I have Indigenous ancestry and that I can celebrate my Indigenous heritage. I wish she were here with me to see how things are different now.
In the summer, I was excited to celebrate Pride Day. As soon as I walked up to the sidewalk and saw all the people gathered, I felt a big whoosh of happiness. There were lots of rainbows, colourful floats, and people in big bold costumes dancing to the beat of the music. We watched an amazing dance performance by one of the drag queens. The dancer did headstands on the concrete and death drops on the ground, all while wearing heels!! At the end of the show, this dancer gave a message to all the parents in the crowd, thanking them for bringing their kids and saying there hadn’t been anything like this when they were younger.
At school, I’m part of Community Club, which is a group of people who think of ideas to make our school a more inclusive and fun environment. Right now, we’re working on a big banner that says, “Be who you are!” with a whole bunch of colourful drawings and thoughtful words around it. Only a couple years ago there weren’t any clubs like this, and I’m very proud to be a part of this change.
Just like the seasons, life is always changing. I hope that we can make a more happy, inclusive environment where everyone feels loved and we can celebrate all our differences. I feel hopeful and I’m excited to see what the future holds.
