Remember Them
By Lynne Bell
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听听听听听听听听听听听 This past September, I was walking along a bustling Banff Avenue, filled with tourists and townspeople, all enjoying a long weekend that marked the official end of summer, while looking up at the stunning sight of the Rocky Mountains in the near distance.
听听听听听听听听听听听 It was actually there in a churchyard, right in the heart of this crowded resort thoroughfare,听 where I saw a plaque that read:
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听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭hey will never know the beauty of this place, see the seasons change, enjoy nature's chorus.
听听听听听听听听听听听 听 All we enjoy we owe to them, men and women who lie buried in the earth of foreign lands and
听听听听听听听听听听听 听in the seven seas.
听听听听听听听听听听听 Dedicated to the memory of Canadians who died overseas in the service of their country and
听听听听听听听听听听 so preserved in our heritage.鈥�
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听听听听听听听听听听听 As I looked around at people enjoying that place and that day, the meaning of Remembrance Day resonated with me personally, where and when I least expected it.
听听听听听听听听听听听 That weekend, I was at home in Canada-in one of our beautiful, peaceful national parks, no less. I was travelling with my daughters-who grew up in a country where they are deemed equal under the law to any of their fellow citizens. We enjoy freedom of movement and other freedoms, too. These are privileges we all grew up with and therefore, like many people, I probably, unwittingly take them for granted.
听听听听听听听听听听听 That's why I think the little plaque in Banff resonated with me. I try hard not to do so, but all of us are probably guilty of taking our privileges for granted, because we've been blessed to have always had lives-and a country- that was underpinned by the idea of a free, equal and ultimately, democratic society.
听听听听听听听听听听听 But like anything, you get what you pay for and my freedom-and that of my daughters- didn't come cheap. In fact, the price was-and continues to be- pretty high. Throughout the conflicts in which Canadians have been called to serve, the numbers of casualities and injuries is almost too overwhelming to contemplate.
听听听听听听听听听听听 In both World Wars, Canada's contribution was much greater than our status as a young country with a relatively small population would dictate. Therefore this country's losses were disproportionately large, leaving gaping holes in entire communities.
听听听听听听听听听听听 In more recent conflicts and in peacekeeping missions, losses of life may be fewer from a statistical point of view, but people aren't statistics and the sacrifices of our servicemen and women are still innumerable, unimaginable, and made entirely on our behalf.
听听听听听听听听听听听 Thoughout the entire country-and in this small corner of Saskatchewan-nearly every hamlet, village, First Nation and town has a roll call of names of those who sacrificed their young, precious and irreplaceable lives so that we could, at the very least:
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淜now the beauty of this place, see the seasons change, enjoy nature's chorus.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 For that-at the very least-we must remember them.
听 听 听 听 听 听 Remembrance Day thoughts
By Kelly Running
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听听听听听听听听听听听 I鈥檓 not sure why, but Remembrance Day resonates with me and it always has. I remember being about seven-years-old, it was Nov. 11, and I was at my granny鈥檚 condo. I was sitting there on the white chesterfield - as she would call it 鈥� with light blue and pink flowers on it, checking my watch every few minutes to make sure I didn鈥檛 miss 11 a.m.
听听听听听听听听听听听 I know we had talked about Remembrance Day at school and I knew my granny had served during World War II, I knew I had a great uncle who had fought and gave his life for the Netherlands during a war, but at seven-years-old I think what really got me was the numbers of people that had served. The number of people that had given their lives, so that I could live mine.
听听听听听听听听听听听 It wouldn鈥檛 have been long before that that my grandfather had passed away from cancer and that I had really felt the loss of death. So, to be told that people had fought for their freedom was touching, but being told how many people had given their lives in battle meant there were many people who had experienced a loss and had grieved for their loved family and friends.
听听听听听听听听听听听 So, about 20-years ago, I watched the seconds tick closer to 11 a.m., checking my watch more frequently. And at 11 a.m. I stood up having a moment of silence, I was by myself in the room, but for some reason I simply felt it was important I do it.
听听听听听听听听听听听 There鈥檚 a good chance my love of history began developing around that time as well. But as I鈥檝e grown and learned more about our history and the history of the world, I鈥檝e found it even more important to go to a Remembrance Day ceremony on Nov. 11 and take a little bit of time out of my day to give thanks to those that were and are serving our country.
听听听听听听听听听听听 I make sure I find a poppy on the last Friday of October, and I wear it diligently until Remembrance Day: one for my jacket and one for my regular clothing. It鈥檚 a small symbol, a tiny action to take, to remember those that have given and give their lives and livelihoods for us.
听听听听听听听听听听听 I also hold off on Christmas decorations until after Remembrance Day, as a personal choice, because I feel like we oftentimes forget about the importance of Remembrance Day when caught up in the speed of life. Every once and awhile we need to slow down and just breathe, to just take a moment and say thank you before moving straight from Hallowe鈥檈n into Christmas. But, that鈥檚 just my personal choice, there鈥檚 nothing wrong with setting up a Christmas tree earlier. We live in a free country after all. :) 听
