Tag Archives: Peace Arch Park

Celebrating the Friendship Between Canada and the States

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I found such joy today!

I drove up to the Peace Arch Park on the border of Canada and the States, to celebrate the friendship between our two nations.

The weather was interesting on the drive up. I left under blue skies and fluffy white clouds, but when I got near Lake Samish I suddenly found myself driving through snowfall. That lasted about ten minutes, and then I was in the sun again. “March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb,” right? – and I guess when you’re in the middle of March you get all of that on the same day.

Many cosmic and wonderful things happened today.

Before I left for Peace Arch Park, I’d needed to make a stop at an old neighbor’s house. This old neighbor now lived in a neighborhood where an old teaching friend of mine had once lived. I’d asked my old neighbors if Lou still lived there, and they said he’d moved away a while ago.

So guess who I ran into at the rally at Peace Arch Park?!! Lou!! Lou had married another teaching friend of mine, Michelle, and they now lived in Bellingham. It seemed absolutely cosmic that I should run into Lou and Michelle (and their sweet pup, Brody) when I’d just been thinking of them that morning. But I’m starting to realize that cosmic coolness is happening all the time, and we just don’t always notice it.

My friend, Tom, was there today, too. He and another friend, Haidee, were the original creators of the Peace Arch Park get-togethers. Another person I consider an old friend now, Ranger Rick, the beloved Peace Arch Park ranger, came down to the arch to see how we all were doing and if we needed anything. AND I found the sister to my TRUTH JUSTICE KINDNESS sign: TRUTH JUSTICE COMPASSION! How cool is that?!

I met new friends today, too – Cora was there with her “TOGETHER WE ARE AMERICA” sign; Arsh (an American citizen) was at the Peace Arch with his girlfriend, Harleen (a Canadian citizen) and they posed in front of the boundary marker for me as they walked their way down to U.S. Customs; Georgia from Lynden was there, to show her support for our friendship with Canada; and, afterwards, when I sat down at a picnic bench by the water, nibbling on the macaron I’d bought myself at L&L Bakery, I met Nancy who’d come up to Blaine to take pictures of birds. I learned Nancy was a retired school principal and teacher, and an avid birder. I had such fun chatting with Nancy in the sunshine at that picnic table and talking about birds with her. (I told her about that whooping swan I’d seen a couple days ago, and gave her directions to where she might find it – I hope the swans are still there for her tomorrow.) While Nancy and I were talking, a sweet pup named Finnegan wandered off the sidewalk to come say hi and get a pet on the head. He was such a sweetheart!

Pups and old friends and new friends and the inspiration that comes when two neighboring nations come together to celebrate their friendship – today was full of magic, my friends.

Rallying with Canadians at Peace Arch Park

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Such joy! I can’t remember ever having more fun at a rally. The Canadians hosted the gathering at Peace Arch Park today and they always pick the best music: Stand By Me, Bridge Over Troubled Water, We Are the World, You’ve Got a Friend, What a Wonderful World.

There’s something really cool about Americans and Canadians standing shoulder-to-shoulder in unity at our border. The lines into Canada were packed today – I saw license plates from Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, and British Columbia – cars full of smiling people of every color and race – giving us the thumbs up, cheering, honking, waving. I was so inspired by the positive energy and kindness I witnessed today.

At one point I strolled three yards to the Canadian side of the border marker in the park, just to see how things were going up north. Then I traveled back to the States, where my fellow American, Steve, asked me how my travels to Canada had gone. I told him I’d had a great trip.

I ran into our old Bow neighbors, Carol and Don, who used to own the Rhododendron Cafe. It was so good to see them again! They live not far from Peace Ark Park now, and this isn’t the first Peace Arch rally they’ve attended.

And – get this! – I saw someone who looked very much like my former student, Hector, waving and grinning from one of the cars in the line to the border. I grinned and waved back – but I thought, “Nah. That can’t be Hector. What would he be doing here?” Later, Hector texted me to confirm that it was him!

As I was leaving the rally, holding my TRUTH JUSTICE KINDNESS sign so it faced the lines of cars – cars were still honking at me, and people were waving. The support today was so encouraging!

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At one of the rallies I participated in last week, a tall young Black man joined us and we exchanged “how are you doing?”s. We both decided to cross the road at the same time. As we crossed, he looked down at me and grinned and said, “I’ll protect you.” I looked up at him and smiled and said, “And I’ll protect you!” It was such a lovely exchange. Just had to share.