Our next stop was North Bay and a job as a recruiting officer and then a change of career for both of us. I became a Public Affairs Officer and she, after several years of trying to beat "them," joined "them" as a clerk in the Reserves. She became a Canadian citizen. Our son was joined by a strong-willed, much-loved daughter, in whom I see much of her mother.

A short stay at Ottawa and then it was off to the rugged beauty of Labrador for three years. I went overseas and participated in the 1999 NATO air campaign. Hectic times. She abided through the long nights and short days of a Goose Bay winter, waiting for me to come home.

Here, I have seen children standing barefoot in open sewers, but still able to smile and wave at us. Here, I have walked through the sad, wretched debris of suicide attacks. Here, I have shared weak, sweet tea in the districts with impoverished farmers and helped bring medical care to women who have not seen a doctor for many years.