This spring I moved into the community of Sunnydale. With that transition came powerful experiences, amazing people and incredible stories.
There are many cultures in this community and fortunately, I got the opportunity to expand my knowledge on their customs and traditions. It is my belief that in North America we have a lot of cultural lessons to learn. I have observed a few practices but one that stands out the most is the hospitality of Sunnydale families.
Being offered food or being invited into homes is a common occurrence. Most of these families have moved from other countries and are valiantly integrating. Admittedly, they face struggles of having been separated from love ones, making ends meet and overcoming employment challenges. Despite these, they don’t hesitate to happily entertain eager guests such as myself.
The beautiful part of hospitality is not so much the food (although the food is awesome), it’s the relationships we build with each other. We go from strangers to friends. Being invited into homes, sitting on the floor around a dish of rice and chicken, drinking tea, and conversing is where I have built these relationships.
In this fast-paced southern Ontario society, its easy to forget about one another, but these families in Sunnydale have reminded me the importance of hospitality. The opportunity to eat, learn, laugh and most of all encourage each other.
Contributor: Dan Martin
Content Manager: Tarique Plummer