If you’re a Vancouverite and say you’re never going to have kids, think again. You already have one – it’s called Vancouver. Yes, the city you live in is your baby.
You are now scrunching up your face in disgust and disbelief, but it’s true. How can one compare a city to a toddler? I have been living in this city for over twenty years and I’ve had a child for three-and-a-half, so I think it’s safe to make a comparison. There are no contrasts, just striking similarities and patterns.
The most prominent feature about Vancouver is the rain. Do toddlers rain? Sort of. They cry, a lot, and scream, and throw water out of the bath tub, just like the swelling ocean during one of our famous storms.The wind rages, rain pummels down like the stomping of feet, determined to over take you. The dark clouds oppress the city like a thick blanket. They persist, but you prevail, and we stand up to them. We run for cover, we need assistance from others, but we survive. That is the key.
Vancouver can’t make up its mind. Neither can a toddler. They say if you don’t like the weather in Vancouver, just wait five minutes. It will change. So will a toddlers mind about anything. Ask him if he wants pasta for dinner, he will say no right away. You make it anyways, and when it’s ready, he wants some. You ask him if he wants to get out of the bathtub and he says no, so you walk away and he yells, “Take me out!”
So the weather sucks, tantrums suck, toddlers suck. Why do we put up with all this misery? Easy. When the weather is beautiful, the azure sky envelops the city and the sun makes the ocean shimmer. The mountains in all their splendour are revealed with their glorious colours of white and blue. Cherry blossoms are blooming bright pink and the grass is green year-round. The breeze is soft and warm, and sweet smelling. It’s stunning. It makes up for all the bad weather days. It’s worth it. There are more good days than bad.
Same with having a child. When he’s sweet and well-behaved, he is glorious too. He hugs you out of the blue, does what he’s told, plays nicely with you, his contagious laugh ripples through the air. His smile is as brilliant as the shimmering ocean. He tells you, “I love you” sincerely and is ridiculously cute as he makes faces and speaks his own language. It’s marvelous to see the look of realization on his face when he learns something new. His determination to live and be happy is just as strong as when he’s angry.
When it’s good, it’s magical. When it’s bad, it’s hell on earth.
Think I made a good enough comparison? Okay, so I just went on about the weather and not about every aspect of the city. So Vancouver’s WEATHER can be compared to a toddler but weather is pretty strong, just as strong as, well, labour pain. Weather surrounds us, sets the tone for the day, and will never go away. And as much as you may think you hate them, kids will never go away and are not always bad.
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