Settlement

Homesickness can happen at any time to anyone. It is a process that you can work through as a new immigrant to Canada and will make you feel sad but it will pass and you will realise how happy you can be now. I have experienced it recently and want to share my experience here.

One morning I felt homesick. I dressed up and carried my suitcase heading to my homeland, Syria. I didn’t tell anyone there. When I arrived, I smelled jasmine scent everywhere. It took me to my mom’s house. I knocked on her door and with low tremulous voice she said, “Who is it?” I answered, “I am your son Bassem”. She said again, “Who?” I replied, “Your son Mom, don’t you remember my voice?” I remember her face was like an angel when she opened the door. She hugged me and we started crying for hours. Then I went with her to see my sisters and my brother then we walked in the old city on Bab Touma Street. We visited all the places we used to go to such as restaurants, cafés, churches, Alazem Palace and Alhamadia. Three days later, we celebrated Christmas with hundreds of Santa Clauses walking around the city, knocking on every door, and giving gifts to children.

Suddenly, somebody put their hand on my shoulder, shook me, and said wake-up. I opened my eyes and I found myself on my bed in strange a room, strange a house, and a strange country. It was dream. All the places I visited no longer exist. The war destroyed everything, even the jasmine flowers.

The war spread us all over the world. My mom is no longer at home, my brother is in Germany, my sister is in Lebanon separated from her kids who are in a distant country, and my other sister is in Sweden. Life is not always fair. All our history was destroyed, even our dreams, and the only thing left are our memories before the war started in 2011. Overall, my best vacation was a few seconds in a dream. I wished not to wake-up.

In conclusion, we used to say in Syria “kiss the land you walk on and pray for it to stay safe.” My message to you now is to be patriotic wherever you live. Enjoy the place you live in because you never know what will happen. Also, stop complaining about little problems and try to find a solution that will make your country better. You don't know how much your home is worth until you lose it. I am now a Canadian but Syria will always be in the bottom of my heart.