Growing up on a northern reserve in Saskatchewan, I believed the life around me was normal.
I thought poverty was normal.
I thought addiction was normal.
I thought households where children were lucky to have one parent present were normal.
When you grow up surrounded by something every day, you don’t question it. You simply accept it as reality.
But one day, my mother decided that reality had to change.
And that decision created a ripple effect that would shape the rest of my life.
The Power of One Person’s Decision
My mom did the best she could with what she had.
She was raising four kids in a community surrounded by challenges. Resources were limited. Opportunities were limited. But her determination was not.
One hot summer day after I had just finished kindergarten, everything changed.
I had been visiting a friend and was dropped off at the end of our long gravel driveway. It was the kind of road surrounded by tall trees, the kind where you could see our tiny house sitting quietly at the end.
As I walked toward the house, something caught my eye.
There was a pickup truck parked outside.
I had never seen that truck before.
And we never had a vehicle.
A Six-Year-Old’s Confusion
As I got closer, I saw my mom rushing around the yard.
She was grabbing garbage bags and boxes and throwing them into the back of the truck. She looked panicked, moving quickly, as if time mattered.
As a six-year-old, I didn’t understand what was happening.
All I knew was that something was different.
I walked up to her and asked, “Mom, what are you doing?”
She looked at me and said, “Son, go inside. Pack your bag. Hurry.”
So I did.
I ran into the house and packed my most prized possessions of the 90s—my Ninja Turtle toys, my backpack, anything I thought I couldn’t live without.
I tossed it into the truck.
And just like that, we drove away.
Leaving Everything Behind
We headed toward the city.
To me, it felt like the “big city.” Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.
As we drove through town, I got excited. Sometimes when we came into the city for medical appointments, we might stop somewhere special.
Walmart.
And if you were lucky, maybe you’d get a small toy.
But that day we drove right past it.
Instead, we pulled up to a hotel.
A New Reality
The five of us—my mom and her four kids—moved into a small hotel room.
Two beds. Fluorescent lights on the ceiling. All our belongings stacked in the corner.
Five people sharing one tiny space.
We stayed there for one night.
Then another.
Then another.
And after a few days of moving from room to room, something started to sink in.
I missed home.
When you’re a child, you crave stability. You want to feel safe. You want to feel like you belong somewhere.
And suddenly, everything I knew was gone.
I started wondering about my dad.
I wondered about my relatives.
I wondered about the life we had just left behind.
And then I realized something I didn’t fully understand at the time.
I wasn’t going home again.
The Sacrifice I Didn’t Understand Until Later
As a child, I didn’t fully understand what my mom had done.
I didn’t realize the courage it took to leave everything behind.
To take four kids and start over.
To step away from a situation she knew wasn’t right for us.
She made that decision because she wanted something better for her children.
And that single act of sacrifice created a ripple effect.
The Ripple Effect of Courage
My mother’s decision didn’t just change our address.
It changed our trajectory.
It created new opportunities.
It allowed us to see a different future.
It showed me that one person’s courage can reshape the lives of many.
Today, when I speak about leadership and ripple effects, it often traces back to that moment.
Because leadership doesn’t always look like standing on a stage.
Sometimes leadership looks like a mother making the hardest decision of her life to protect her children’s future.
The Ripple Effects in Your Life
When I reflect on that moment, I’m reminded of something important:
Every one of us has people in our lives who created ripple effects.
Someone who believed in us.
Someone who sacrificed for us.
Someone who opened a door we didn’t know existed.
And now the question becomes:
What ripple effects will you create for someone else?
Final Thought
My mother’s courage shaped my path.
Her decision helped create the opportunities I’ve had to help others, mentor youth, and serve communities around the world.
And it all started with one moment.
One decision.
One act of sacrifice.
Never underestimate the ripple effect your choices can create.
Because sometimes, the hardest decisions lead to the most powerful transformations.
hiy hiy
