The Best Place To Raise Kids

Recently I was at the rink with my kids.  My son was having his first hockey game.  As we walked into the arena we were met by honks, waves and hollers from the other parents heading into the rink on a sunny Saturday morning.

While my other son dressed his little brother, I chatted with Moms about school and life.  He headed onto the ice with his school friends and my other two kids asked if they could walk the 30 steps to Tim Hortons and get a treat.

One little girl whose Dad was on the ice crawled up beside me and watched the hockey practice with me.  The Dad nodded to me, knowing his child was safe.

I was washed over with nostalgia.  I grew up in the small communities of Douro and Otonabee, just a stones throw from where we live now.  My childhood is filled with memories of roaming freely without worry.  My family knew every other family who lived within a 15 minute drive.

I know a lot of my friends live in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and LA, and I think their life is pretty awesome too. Perhaps I am just biased, but there is something really special about a small town. The school is small.  Everything is so close: groceries, movies, gas, sports, restaurants, library, and community fun activities like FREE movies in the park.

Don’t get me wrong, with small quarters can come boredom which leads to gossip, which leads to too many people sharing stories about people they shouldn’t be.  But let’s be honest, that is humanity!

I often get asked why I never moved to Toronto or LA with my media career. I did live in Toronto for a brief period and it was FUN.  I love Toronto (Go Jays Go), but I knew it wasn’t where I wanted to raise my family.  I also knew I was way too loud of a parent to ever live within any city limit.  I am a country girl.  I need my space and my sanctuary.  I also have terrible road rage and the attention span of a hummingbird, so city traffic and I do NOT get along.

In a world that seems increasingly complex with technology and social media, raising a family in a small community feels very simple.

I’m grateful for the wonderful people in our community who make my life and my children’s life better. I think small communities are the backbone to this country and they all need a shout out!

Small town people are problem solvers. No truck? No problem! We’ll shove these 3 bales of hay into your minivan with your children. Adele Leahy from Leahy Fruit Stand giving top notch customer service.

So to all the small towns out there FIST PUMPS all around!

Sometimes, I really do feel like I live in Stars Hallow.

MF