写在 Leslie 一岁生日的第五封信

Original 孟庆伟Justin 孟庆伟英文写作

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Dear Leslie,

I haven't written you a letter for a long time, although I have always meant to write more often. Today is your first birthday, and daddy would like to write you something and wish you a happy birthday!

The initial plan was to celebrate your first birthday in Beijing, China, with your paternal grandparents, uncle, aunt, cousin Luoluo, and family friends. However, as mom got a doctorate visiting opportunity at the University of Toronto that starts in early September, and because we thought it'd take you a couple of weeks to adapt to the daycare center, we decided to come to Canada earlier. As you will soon learn, sometimes plans change at the last minute and you have to deal with it.

Daddy has nothing but positive words to say about you. Moving to a new country with an infant is not easy, and we were concerned about whether you'd be okay on the 15-hour flight from Hong Kong to Toronto, your first international flight and by far the longest. You coped remarkably well—you didn't scream, you always smiled at everyone you met, and all the neighboring passengers were entertained by you. Mom and dad were truly impressed.

Your first day at the daycare center was equally impressive. We spared the entire day in case you wanted mom and dad to be around for a few hours, but it turned out that as soon as you saw the teachers and other infants, you instantly blended in. The teachers said they had never seen an infant of this age transition so smoothly. Now you have spent three weeks at daycare, and it seems you have fully adapted to your new home.

Your one-year birthday is a big milestone. So is our family's recent move to Canada. Mom and dad have decided to leave everything behind and build a new life in a new land from scratch. We believe Canada is a better place for you to grow up and for us to thrive. As new immigrants, we will of course encounter challenges, but here is another lesson: life is not about living in the comfort zone and making easy decisions; life is about pursuing what you believe, taking risks, dealing with uncertainties, and enjoying it.

Yes, we are new immigrants, but we know we are blessed and privileged. We are well educated, speak good English, have work experience, and know Canada fairly well. We would not complain about anything challenging we face. We take the opportunity to immigrate to Canada as a gift, and we are confident we will be able to contribute to the Canadian economy and society in meaningful ways.

Today mom and dad visited a bookstore and saw Simu Liu's autobiography We Were Dreamers: An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story. An influential Canadian actor and writer, he came to Canada as a young immigrant. He recounted how he got straight A's and won math competitions to make his parents proud. Well, don't think that's the only way to make mom and dad proud. Don't worry about being sent to cram schools and having to be the model Asian kid. We are proud of you no matter what you do.