Remembering to be grateful

I was lucky. Raised in a large family by my mom Susan and dad Marius, my eight siblings and I were always well cared for and guided. Life was not very easy for any of us living in Attawapiskat 20 or 30 years ago. There was poverty, poor housing, substandard health and education services, and rampant alcohol and drug abuse. Sadly, too many of these issues still hurt my people.

I always felt fortunate that mom and dad ran an organized household. We had great food to eat, we were warm in good homes that were well cared for, we were supported in to get an education and from an early age we were taught the value of working hard. Although my mom now suffers from debilitating arthritis, when I was young she was spry and always managed to make the time to prepare meals, keep our home and lives organized, and motivate us to be the best we could be. She and dad believed in education and pushed us to go to school. They instilled us with spiritual values and taught us to be kind, open and understanding.

My dad was a go-getter from an early age and believed that success was due to hard work. He was a traditional man who knew the James Bay and coast very well. As a young man he spent many months out on the land hunting, trapping and fishing to feed and support his family.

Happily, mom had much useful training from her Elders and parents and teachers. For a few years she worked in the kitchen at our hospital. That turned out to be a very good thing for our large family as she could put together a nutritious and great tasting meal quickly. I loved her lasagna and spaghetti, which she made often with moose or caribou meat. Every Friday we dined on platters of fresh-battered fried fish.

In the summer we collected mostly gooseberries and mom magically turned them into wonderful jam that we had with our bannock. She also baked gooseberry pies. Mom always made sure we had enough and taught us how to prepare good meals for ourselves.

Dad was a dreamer, always planning his next big project. He was a successful entrepreneur who developed all sorts of businesses, including transportation, construction, and food and hotel services. Although he has passed, some of my siblings continue to manage businesses he started. We all learned from an early age that we needed to contribute to the success of his businesses. This taught us the importance of work and we learned many skills to help us through life.

I recall those days of hard work with my siblings hauling freight, running a fast-food restaurant, working construction or collecting firewood. It was hard work all year and we had to deal with freezing temperatures or black flies and mosquitoes. Mom was always our back-up. When we got home tired and hungry she was there with a great meal. The house was warm and cozy and our beds ready for a good night’s sleep.

Because our parents we had an easier life. Although I later had to deal with alcoholism and addictions I was fortunate to have had teachings early in life on making good choices. I believe this made me more open to realizing I had a problem and reach out for help.

More and more these days I realize how important my parents were in helping me survive and have a life. I have also had a lot of guidance and help from good friends and other family members. I try my best to remember to be grateful for the good life I have today and that fact that I am living clean and sober. Recently, I visited with my mom and enjoyed some quality time with her. We like to just sit and chat. We reminisce a lot and she passes along many stories and teachings. When I am with her I am reminded of how much she gave to me, my dad and my siblings. She reminds me to be grateful.