Day 9 - Joe Cloutier

In appreciation of my mother and father who taught me love and understanding. 

Dear Mom and Dad,

It was on the streets of Edmonton Alberta, that I learned the Freirean sense of Love. But I learned and felt your love and courage most of my life. I still wonder how you made it through some of the difficult times and managed to keep a house full of love. With 7 children, you were constantly busy with diapers, feeding, cleaning, and caring for all of us. In those days, you didn’t have Pampers to ease the load. I can’t remember how many years you worked the night shift in the Melmac factory. But I remember you would leave after dad got home. When I was old enough to get my driver’s license, I would pick you up at midnight in our old car.
Dad, you drove every kind of truck, often for long hours, to support us all. In my younger years, you were often out of work, but I remember you walking for hours to find a job. You worked hard, driving trucks, loading and unloading cargo whenever you could. I also remember how hard and calloused your hands were. The dominant view at the time was “spare the rod and spoil the child”. But thank goodness you or Mom didn’t follow that philosophy.

Christmas dinner came in a basket of supplies from the church or the Canadian Legion’s support for veterans. Food was scarce at times. But love was always plentiful. We appreciated the food donations and clothing from those helping organizations.

I wonder how you found the courage to keep going now? How you raised our family, feeling sheltered in a love that never wavered despite the trouble I got into on the streets of Toronto. I always felt loved, supported, and cared for.

You both loved us, nurtured us, and raised a loving and caring family. Dad, you taught me to work hard and to drive a truck. As men of that period, you mostly kept your emotions to yourself, but I felt your love. You did everything you could to care for Mom and make her life easier.

When I reflect on those times, despite the hardships, I feel your love, determination, and courage. I remember and feel the sense of community we had with our neighbours in our section of Gerrard Street, how we shared or borrowed a cup of sugar, a few eggs, or other essentials. In a busy city, it was a small community that cared for its neighbours.

In one of my truck-driving jobs at Christmas time, I organized all the truck drivers to contribute to a Christmas fund. We made and delivered Christmas food baskets to families in need. Your love and empathy inspired me to do what I could to ease the struggles of families in need.

Later, I chose a way of life working with marginalized youth out of a deep sense of solidarity. I didn’t think of it at the time, but now, on reflection, I realize that my actions were only possible because of your inspiration.

The work of Paulo Freire also inspired me, but it was you, your love, courage, and empathy that are responsible for my feelings that I can only describe as a Freirean sense of love that underpins my work with Edmonton’s marginalized youth.

With Love,

Joe, 
Joey, when I was young and cute,
​or Joseph when you were upset with me. 
(Joe Cloutier, Edmonton, Alberta)