A Place Called Home

“Stratford is a community that people return to,” commented the woman in the coffee shop. “Why is that?” I wondered.

I am one of those who returned. After living in London, then venturing to Nova Scotia, settling in Saint John, New Brunswick for a while and then in Calgary, Alberta, my path eventually led me back to Stratford. What is there about Stratford that invites the wanderer to return?

No doubt if you have been reading this blog for a while you have discovered some of the reasons – a sense of community, warm people, wonderful opportunities both in the arts and in sports. We actually returned to Stratford to be closer to family. When my boys were young we wanted then to know their grandparents here in town, and their aunts, uncles and cousins who lived within easy driving distance.

Stratford was a good fit for us in terms of educational facilities, church, health care, and extracurricular activities. There were piano and singing lessons, youth hockey teams, the world renowned St. Mary's Children's Choir just down the road, school teams, drama opportunities through Kids Chorus at our church, and wonderful physicians and health care support when our young son developed asthma that required frequent hospitalization.

Stratford is a place that one can happily call home, and if you happen to wander away as I did, you can know that the welcome mat will always be there if you should choose to return.