When I was younger – in fact, throughout all my childhood and teenage years – my family would faithfully visit our local cenotaph on Remembrance Day every year. Seeing that my grandfather is a war veteran, it was a part our family’s tradition, even before he passed away.
Every year, we proudly pinned the bright red poppies to our jackets. Every year, I would play the Last Post on my trumpet during the ceremony and my older sister would recite “In Flanders Field.” Every year, we lined up with our school friends, shivering in the November winds, alongside the local Innisfil veterans and sang “O Canada”. We held still during the moment of silence. We watched with childhood wonder as the veterans quietly payed respects to their fallen comrades.
These yearly visits made a huge impression on my life. It helped me respect the war veterans of our country. And it encouraged me to continue this tradition with my own five children.
So every year, our family walks to the local cenotaph on Remembrance Day. Last year, Lyla (who was 5 at the time) recited “In Flanders Field” in front of a few hundred seniors at a local gathering in town. Lacey laid a wreath with her grandfather at the town cenotaph.
Leading up to this year’s Remembrance Day, I wanted to include something every day in school relating to the veterans, why we remember and why we wear a poppy…
While this is a sad and somewhat deep topic to study for the girls, it is so very important.
I am hoping my children will respect Remembrance Day and honor the veterans when they are grown adults… in turn, teaching their children, one day, the important of stopping and remembering.
Although my girls never met their Grandpa Jackson {who fought in the Korean War} …
We will spend this week remembering.
… he passed away one month before Lacey was born …
How do you honor our veterans? Please share … and join me in a week of Remembering.
by Gigi
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