Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean
Speech on the Occasion of the Presentation of Meritorious Service Decorations
Rideau Hall, Friday, April 28, 2006
It is an honour for me to welcome you to Rideau Hall. Dear recipients, you are everyday heroes. Too often, your achievements are left off the front page. And yet, you have saved lives, eased suffering and misery, brought comfort and support. You are women and men of conviction, action and compassion.
Whether as ordinary citizens or in the performance of your official duties as members of the Canadian Forces, you embody the most noble expression of what it means to serve, going above and beyond what others, what you yourselves, might expect of you.
As engaged members of your communities, you have created an agency, an institution, a foundation, a program, a technology that has changed the course of a life, perhaps several lives. How many people have received quality care, found affordable housing, been freed from the yoke of drugs and alcohol, survived an accident, regained some of their lost independence, acquired vital skills or lived out a dream, all because of you?
As members of the Canadian Forces, you have not only been involved in operations and missions, as is your duty, but you have also chosen to become leaders, demonstrating extraordinary dedication. You have taken the initiative, using your skills and qualities to serve your country. How many soldiers and civilians have been put out of harm’s way, have been saved, have been protected, how many have survived because of your actions?
As we look at your lives, we may ask ourselves: “What would I have done in their place?” Some of you have lost a loved one, to war or to a long battle with illness. Others have seen entire families evacuated from their homes to escape a natural disaster. Still others have had to serve in ravaged countries, suffering under a shadow of misery and death.
Faced with pain and distress, you found the courage to stand up and make a difference. Perhaps one must feel at the end of their rope, as you have probably been, in order to put oneself in another person’s situation, to understand their needs and offer solutions.
Rather than closing in on yourselves, you transformed grief, a shock, a reality, a cause into a source of hope, for which we are all grateful. While you reached out to improve the lives of others, we should all reach out to help others in our lives every day.
There is far too much fear and misunderstanding in the world: fear of the other group, fear of the other race, fear of the other in general. And yet, how often have we seen suspicions disappear, when that first step is taken toward the other person?
This country was built on acts of courage like yours. Taming the wide open spaces of this land, coming here to start a new life and build a better future for one’s children, and finally creating a place where everyone has equal rights. And, of course, we have a collective responsibility to improve the lives of our fellow citizens and the world around us. And, as you have reminded us, every action, every word makes a difference.
You have restored our faith in our fellow human beings; you have shown us that great things are possible when you listen to your heart.
On behalf of all Canadians, I would like to express our gratitude, not only for what you have accomplished, but also for the lives that you have enriched by your example and excellence.
Thank you.
