“My Journey to Canada” from Guyana
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“Being a single mother and an immigrant to Canada, I didn’t give up and always tried to stay positive. That’s my advice to you, the days may be hard and you might feel like giving up but keep working hard and see the good at the end of the tunnel”.
I arrived in Toronto, Ontario on April 3rd 1983 with my first child. One of my older aunts made such a beautiful dress for me to wear but arriving in the spring it was a bit chilly as I wasn’t use to the weather. In the beginning, it was different than Letterkenney, the little village in Berbice, Guyana where I came from. Back in Guyana, I decided I would be the one to stay back from school at grade 10 and “mind” the house while everyone else worked. My Parents, my older sister and two brothers were already here and had sent for me to come to Canada for a better life. Being a single parent, my family helped and supported me a lot. During this time we all helped each other as much as we could being new to Canada. After two years I found a job, I would work as much as I can to support my daughter but even then when I needed help my parents helped me a lot. A couple of years later being, I met my ex-husband at one of my old jobs. We religiously got married and in 1990 we had our daughter. Throughout the relationship it was hard lots of ups and downs, I tried my best to keep the relationship as I didn’t want to be a single parent again and be labelled. During these years, my health was not that great and I was experiencing some Gut issues. In 1997, my world changed a bit, my ex-husband, my younger daughter and I were in a very bad car accident.
The car accident resulted in me having a lot of body pain and a-lot of health issues arise which caused me to stop working. After 12 months, my ex husband and I separated and I became a single parent again. My older daughter moved back home with me as she was living with family for a couple of years. I then had a stroke, but thankfully I was not in a really bad situation. Throughout the years the pain and depression really got into my lifestyle I didn’t want to do much, very sad and in a lot of pain but my children would always encourage me to be stronger and go out and meet people.
In 2004 I had my first grandson and I think that is when I tried my best to be a little more active to help out and take care of him and help my daughter. After four years my daughter had another child, who is my granddaughter. I am very blessed to have the support from my family through the years as I feel I wouldn’t be able to be here if it wasn’t for them, my grandchildren also have been reasons why I believe I stayed so strong. My two daughters have helped me a lot, and one of my sons- in-law has given me lots of joy in my life. I still have pain, and get into moments of hardships and sadness but I try to get the pain out of my mind and to live a better and enjoyable life, with my family and my friends.