Remembrance Day in the Sunshine

I’m writing this having just returned from the Remembrance Day ceremony at the Cenotaph in Victoria Park.   As usual, it was a very nice service, remembering the sacrifices of our soldiers in years past and the continued sacrifices our soldiers make today.

The park was packed this year.  I’m sure the fine weather helped — I can’t remember ever leaving the park without frozen toes, but this time I was warm in sneakers — but I really got the sense that people truly wanted to be there today.

Maybe it’s because we’re at war in Afghanistan right now (I can’t imagine us treating this so casually if it was 1942 or even 1951) or maybe it’s because we don’t have many WWII veterans left anymore and feel the need to honour those who remain.  All I know is that stopping to think about the great sacrifices they made (and continue to make) on our behalf has me charged up to make the most of the society we have and to live in a way that makes future wars unnecessary.

Thank you, Lloyd Jones.  Thank you, Ken and Louise Arndt.  Thank you to the other veterans who came back from war and built this neighbourhood house by house in the 1950’s.   I hope we’re building on what you accomplished.