*brushes off her dusty FA account*

To all my fellow Canadians and my multi-cultured friends here on FA, I'd like to take this time celebrate my country's independence!

For 144 years, Canada has been independent from the English Monarchy and we've stood proud and strong as our own Nation. There have been many rough times and times when we thought we wouldn't make it or we would fall apart, but despite those odds, we've survived as a whole for almost a century and a half.

We may be going through many obstacles in our everyday life, but we Canadians stand proud and true for the Great White North. As a friend of mine said, Canada Day is a day where we Canadians fly our flags a little higher and sing our national anthem a little louder.

It's the day where we as a nation, whether we were born here in this land or born somewhere else, whether we're Scottish, or French, or Native, or anything in heritage background, we know in our hearts that we'll stand up today and we'll celebrate being free.

Free to think and do what we want when we want. Free to be who we are and love someone who understands that. Free to go a few blocks away just to get that last taste of Tim Horton's before the store closes up shop for the night. Free to play the stereotype card when my friends and I are goofing around in online chats. Free to run outside in the middle of winter after a night of the first heavy snow and jump into a snow bank and not care who watches me. Free to jokingly scold my friends who complain about it being cold where they are and to be jokingly scolded back when I complain that it's hot where I am.

Free to be Canadian.

Free to be me.

I am Canadian.

And I'm happy to be free.

Happy Canada Day, everyone.