#22 Remembrance Day

Today is Remembrance Day in Canada. I had been planning a post about the ceremony I attended in War Memorial Hall on campus today. Watching the procession of vetrans always brings tears to my eyes, and the music this year was beautiful, and a letter by a man from Guelph who fought in WWI written to his family 8 days before his death was as touching as the first time I heard it.

I had been planning to write about those things, but got back to my office and read an email sent by my friend Jackie, and decided it was poignent enough to share further.

So on this particular Remembrance Day I had a bit of a moment when the clock struck 11:11. I was driving into work, was around Lawrence and Mount Pleasant when the clock struck the appropriate time. I had the CBC playing so I pulled over to the side of the road to listen to the trumpet call and salute that was happening on Parliament Hill. As I was sitting in my car, I noticed that two elderly gentlemen were standing outside of their vehicles on the other side of the road. One looked like he was in semi-military uniform, the other wore a simple poppy. Both had their hats in their hands and had their heads bowed. When I saw this I opened my car windows and turned up the volume so that they too could share in the ceremonies. As soon as they noticed me pulled over (there was quite a lot of traffic between us) the one in semi-uniform started to cry. When the trumpet call came to an end - he mouthed the words "thank-you" and I think "God Bless". Then he turned and got back into his vehicle and drove off.

As you can imagine, at this point the tears were just streaming down my face. One of my biggest fears growing up was that there would be a war and my father, a former fighter pilot, would have to go and fight in it. Knowing the kind of man my father is, I have no doubt that he would have gone to fight if our county's liberty was on the line. I am so grateful that that never happened, but am particularly aware (as I write a refugee application) that there are so many people in the world who are not so lucky.

So I guess this is my long-winded way of saying that I feel SO lucky to live here in Canada! And though there are definitely different views on whichever wars are being waged at a particular moment in history - I think it is important that we all take a moment and think about those that served to get our country to where it is, those who continue to serve to protect the lives of those in need and the friends and families of those who do.

So many times on Remembrance Day I was "too busy" to stop and pause for the minute of silence. This year, I'm really grateful that I did.

Love,
Jackie

I hope this day has given you some time for reflection.
In peace, Lindsay.

Painting by Steve Thoms, http://www.art.com/products/p10287744-sa-i3586339/steve-thoms-poppy-field.htm