Please allow this contrarin position: I have 4 kids who are now late teens to early 20s. I have a crippling disability for the past 10 years. My wife works 2 jobs and has her own small business just to make ends meet. I feel every negative comment about those "lousy welfare bums" because I get a CPP cheque for 800 or so a month. I really don't blame those who say this because I really really hate being in this place, a useless member of Canadian society. I have tried to do something that needs only my free time, a small business, but in my opinion was too sick to make it a success. (the 2008 crash didn't help I suppose).
I am trying my best, its been hard on my family, but they are all trying too. Where I am at right now is the place in life where parents want to help their kids with their education. My oldest, unable to afford university, got his class 1 and works for the city of Victoria. My daughter is in university-education faculty. My son is at the Art Institute of Burnaby (and you thought university tuition was expensive?) My youngest did a cooking program at the local college, cooked for the Olympics and now is training to be a great chef at an upscale restaurant in Vancouver. My wife and I have provided pretty close to 1,000.00 to the kids to help out. (please understand it is profoundly humiliating to even admit this.)
Why am I saying this? Because first of all I am thankful for what we do have, and what we have been given. At least Canada was good enough to my family so that none of my kids had to go work in sweat shops. For that I am profoundly thankful, and am thankful to every "cranky" tax payer who has complained about my ilk--I am too painfully aware from whence these Canadian blessings came.
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