Hockey

 So, the last few days here have taught me a bit about the country I live in. I thought it'd be cool to share that with you.
 My city, Barrie, Ontario, was blessed with the honour of hosting the Clarkson Cup. The Clarkson Cup is Canada and the US's professional women's hockey tournament. It's like the Stanley Cup, but for women. Or like a women's Fifa, but for hockey. :-) Hockey in Canada is a big deal. We love it. When hockey season comes around, we bind together in cheering for our favourite teams, we clash when we cheer for opposite teams, but in the end, we just love Canada's game together. Our national sport, for an odd reason, is not hockey, but hockey is what we breathe, play, and watch. It's what we're known for. And everyone joins in, men and women alike. And even though women's hockey is underrated, the select few who realize it's awesome-ness (is that a word???), join together to celebrate the Clarkson Cup. This year, just a few hours ago, Montreal took the prize, and we all celebrated with them in their joy. What I came to realize was that hockey is more than just the game. It's a common element of makes us who we are. Hockey brings some memories, like this one. In the summer, on a Thursday night, we joined together for a hockey game. Why? Because our local hospital was building a cancer ward, and funds were needed. The stadium was packed, 5000 seats filled, and many more trying to get tickets, and alas, they failed. But what was so distinctive was the fact that we had some of hockey's greats, some locals, heck, even local politicians playing together and all of the city wanted in on that little piece of Canada. My friends coveted my tickets. Our Prime Minister even helped coach a team. He stepped out on the ice and the crowd cheered. We applauded, but he wasn't who we were excited about. We were more excited about Don Cherry, our beloved Grapes. Just to give you a backstory, Don Cherry (also known lovingly as Grapes), is Hockey-Night-In-Canada's announcer. He is a former pro-hockey player. When Grapes emerged, well, the crowd was more wild than with our own Prime Minister. Hockey bound us together more than our own goverment. We love our government, but well, we just love our hockey. I don't know if a sport binds you like hockey binds us, but the feeling of loving something with all your heart is amazing. It stands proud and strong in our national identity. What, in the end, I realized, was that in Canada, love IS hockey.

I can't wait to talk to you later
With much love,
Katah :-)