My relationship with Haiti...

I have always had mixed feelings about Haiti…

I watched a video that is posted on another blog and it evoked so many emotions. It reminded me of everything I love and dislike about my other country. (I will post the link for the video below)

I love the sound of Creole and how I have come to understand it, I love how despite most circumstances Haitians have such a “joy de vive” and are so beautiful. I love Haitian music; I love the crisp mountain air. I love the fact that Haiti is forever going to be part of our family.

But… Haiti scares the crap out of me, it does. My last trip was much less frightening – maybe because I actually had to “live” there, and it was relatively safe at the time (and well, I was staying at the Montana).
I am scared of all the potential foreign diseases, malaria, hep, parasites, food born illnesses etc. I am afraid of potential violence, especially in a foreign country. I am afraid of the lack of accountability, how many people with any “power” thinks they own the country. I hate that my “extended family” have to live day-by-day lacking essentials.

Although I have conflicting feelings about “my other country”, I have been careful in trying to portrait Haiti in a positive light to my children. I have not sugar coated some of the hardships many Haitian face on a daily basis, but I have always encouraged my children to be proud to be Haitian-Canadian and to talk about all the beauty Haiti has to offer!

A trip to Haiti with Ty has been in the talking stage, I am thinking that within the next couple of years I would love to take a trip with him and have him reacquaint himself with his original roots (maybe even meet his Biological mother – if we can find her by then). I would love for my children to know their other country first hand, for them to feel it, smell it, hear it… I don’t want to wait until they are in their late teens to re-introduce them and have them feel like they may have missed out… On the other hand, I want to protect my children and keep them safe in my little “Canadian bubble”.

Video link