Remembrance

For some, it's just a regular day of the week that they wear a poppy for reasons they've never really thought about; for others, it's a day of heart break and painful memories.

Remembrance Day is a day that as Canadians we celebrate annually to be respectful and remember those that have fallen in any of the wars that we have fought in, in the past. For some, it is personal.

My grandparents have never talked to us about war-time Scotland or Canada but I've heard stories and I've learned about family members killed and survived; my spouse and love of my life served in Afghanistan and came home with invisible scars from it.

Scotland during WW2 was a scary place and my grandparents experienced what I can only imagine as being fearful for their lives. Blackouts and bomb shelters and losing loved ones; I can only be thankful that they made it through and that they made it to Canada afterwards.

I used to be one of those people, before I met Michael, who would attend Remembrance Day ceremonies at school and feel nothing. My heart and mind would be elsewhere, just thankful for the opportunity to be out of class for an hour.

After I met Michael and he finished his tour overseas everything seemed to change; when I think of his time over in the sandbox, or I think about my families involvement in previous wars, it's painful. I think about all those that lost loved ones in the past and the people that have lost people they loved so recently. My heart breaks for them.

I remember the one Remembrance Day ceremony that I attended alone when Mike was in Afghanistan; he had only been there for a month at that time. It was a cold fall day and I stood by the cenotaph in Chilliwack surrounded by families and friends and veterans and strangers.

I felt so alone standing in that place surrounded by people.

Silently standing there, thinking about when I would next hear from Mike, I had to hold back tears for the whole ceremony. When they played the last post I nearly burst in to tears, I couldn't contain myself. Not only was I afraid for Michael's life but I finally felt something when I thought about those who never returned home from wars years before I was even born.

My soldier returned home, and I was thankful.

Gratefully and respectfully, ever since Michael's tour I attend a Remembrance Day ceremony not just out of habit or obligation but out of mourning and support. I may not have lost someone but there are those that have, and I remember so that maybe others may not have to.

I read something yesterday that made a lot of sense. We are slowly losing the generations that were there during these wars; WW1 vets aren't around anymore and WW2 vets won't be around for long. We have to remember them so that our children won't have to go through what they did.

~Kayla