By Kimberly VanderHorst
I watch the Veterans march each Remembrance Day and feel a surge of pride.
I see how high their chins lift and how steady their gazes are. Despite the weight of years and the memory of war’s grief lodged in their hearts, they live on, and they remember.
They also teach. They teach us war isn’t just a story history has told us.
When I was younger, I flinched away from the mere sight of our Veterans, and even more from the thought of them. They made me feel uncomfortable because their very existence reminded me the world is sometimes a hard and hurting place.
And the scope of their lives, what they have done, what they have given, makes mine feel small in comparison. I felt like they had given me a gift and I’d made poor use of it.
I used to feel uncomfortable and ashamed when I saw the Veterans march, but one year that changed. I watched and felt more than just a strange mingling of pride and discomfort. I felt a sudden sense of possessiveness as I realized I wasn’t watching “the” Veterans march; I was watching “our” Veterans march.
I realized they are ours, and we are theirs. I realized that while war is hatred given breath, service in war can be manifestation of love.
And now, when I watch our Veterans march each year, the discomfort and shame are gone. Instead I feel love, and humility, and a touch of awe that these amazing men and women gave so much so we could have so much. I re-examine my life and think of ways I can shape it into something more, something that honours the example our Veterans have set.
As a mother, I have battles to fight, sacrifices to make, and love to show. As a wife, I have a comrade in arms whom I would give my all and my everything for.
As a friend, I freely give my time, my patience, my compassion. As a member of a community, I have talents to share, respect to give, and support to offer.
Watching our Veterans march helps me focus on becoming the sort of woman who can watch without the slightest hint of shame. I want to meet their steady gazes and nod in quiet acceptance of the gift they have given. I want to honour that gift by continuing to shape my life with kindness, tolerance, and a desire to give service whenever and however it is needed.
I can think of no better way to honour the men and women who have served us, than to serve each other in such a way that there can be no war among us.
Kimberly VanderHorst is a member of the South Cariboo Writers’ Guild.
