Little fall of rain
I just came home from the Philippines when I got the email. “Congratulations,” it said. “You have been selected as a winner of the Soroptimist International of North and West Vancouver’s Ruth Ditto award.” I was awed, and rendered speechless. Soroptimist International is a worldwide service organization for women committed to helping women (and girls) achieve their individual and collective potentials. The Ruth Ditto Award is an award unique to the North and West Vancouver Club. Ruth Ditto is an esteemed and treasured Club member and everyone remembers her for her strength (despite the fact that she was a petite woman), and remembers how unselfishly she shared her talents (she is a painter too) and her time. The award is to honour women who persevere despite challenges (in my essay, I spoke of the travails of being a new immigrant with big dreams). With all of Ruth Ditto’s friends in attendance, I felt empowered, humbled, honoured. Below is my speech.
Somebody looked at my palm to gaze into my future. He smiled but did not tell me what he saw.
I prefer it that way. Not knowing. Because it is enough that I know that my husband and I, we always put ourselves in, well, situations.
In December 2011, we found ourselves in the clutches of winter in beautiful Vancouver.
We were starting a new life, embarking on an adventure.
Until the adventure turned real and the difficulty of finding a foothold in a new country we did not know sank in.