A Love Letter To Canada And Beach Days
Updated: Jun. 21, 2017
Beth Thompson, Editor-in-Chief of Best Health Magazine, takes a walk down memory lane to reflect on Canada’s Birthday and summer.
I have this great memory of being a kid in summer.
It’s a hot July day and I’m just waking up. Dappled sunlight plays across my bedspread and a warm breeze moves through the room, making the curtains dance. I’m probably 11 or 12, and my to-do list is short: Figure out how to fill the day.
As I contemplate my choices, I hear my mother bound up the steps, two at a time. “Beach day!” she squeals. “Get up, get up, we’re going to the lake!”
My heart skips. I love beach days. Don’t ask me to pick one thing about them – I can’t. I love the water and the waves. I love eating lunch on my towel. I love how well my brothers and I get along when we’re knee-deep in sandcastle strategy.
Canada Day memories
I feel incredibly lucky to have had these carefree days, surrounded by love, light and laughter. The older I get, the more I understand what a key role they play in my healthy attitude. My parents created a sturdy and balanced foundation so that we could grow into strong and resilient adults. What a gift!
I’ve been thinking about these long-ago summers a lot lately as Canada celebrates her 150th birthday. For a country that identifies as a cold-weather clime, it’s fun that our birthday is smack dab in the middle of the hot season. It’s like the icing on the cake, if you will. We get to celebrate our country, and we don’t need our parkas to do it – touch wood.
Canada is diverse in its geography and people. And while our experiences may be different, our sentiment is the same: We live in an amazing country, and we know it.
Canada Day 2017
In our Summer issue , we’re writing a love letter to Canada, as we celebrate her breadth and boldness. We’re spotlighting movers and shakers, preparing patriotic desserts, highlighting “Made in Canada” beauty products and showcasing great swimwear ideas that pay homage to iconic landmarks.
Plus, we have an amazing healthy gardening guide. Just because we have short summers doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy great gardens. In this piece, we’re taking an idea from our past – victory gardens – to help plant the seeds of the future: a healthy, sustainable society.
Celebrating Canada from the ground up feels right and good. Like a carefree child at the beach, the healthiest of countries grows from a strong foundation.
Happy Canada Day!
