Food For Thought - Ayotte

Not so long ago, we spent a wonderful afternoon and evening with our friends/acquaintances. We enjoyed a delicious potluck supper and shared some interesting stories with each other. This special time took place at the home of an American couple whom we first befriended when we started to winter in Mesa, Arizona. We love this couple and we now have many mutual friends. Initially, all of our mutual friends were American. As the years have gone by, many other Canadians have now been accepted into our circle of friends.

The event that took place was unique by the fact that it was referred to as a Maple Leaf party. In other words, this couple invited only their Canadian friends to attend. Ironically enough, some of us hardly knew each other or only met for the first time that day. The one thing that we had in common was the fact that we were all Canadian. I know the intentions of our wonderful hosts were good, but it still brought some sadness to my husband and me.

We have always merely enjoyed the many friendships that we have formed in Mesa and we fear that one day there will be an American party that we may not be invited to attend, although the majority of our friends are still American. This is not the first time that such an occasion has arisen. A few others have started to do the same. They mean well because they want to “host” the Canadians in what they consider to be a proper and fitting way.

Personally, I don’t want to see this happen. In this particular instance, whether I am Canadian or not, is irrelevant. What matters the most to me is spending time with my friends. Their country of origin is of little importance because I see the friendship, itself, as having far more value. I don’t want to be segregated because I’m Canadian. I merely want to spend time with my friends.

At times, I feel that we can mix up the important words/adjectives in how we view things. For instance, whether a Canadian friend or an American friend, in my opinion, the key word is friend. I think the same holds true for us as Christian writers. I feel that whether we are Canadian, American, German, French, etc. writers, editors, or publishers, the key word to remember is that we are Christian.

Being a Christian far outweighs everything else. It is our Christian beliefs that universally unite us and that which creates the bond we all share. There are no borders, no skin colors, and no gender differences and so on that comes before our role as followers of Christ. It is not always easy to remember which word is of more importance. To me, Christian friend/author wins “hands down” regardless of one’s heritage or country of origin.


Author of “I’m Not Perfect And It’s Okay”