This Sunday, Nov. 11, we, like folks across the country, will gather for Remembrance Day to honour the men and women who sacrificed their lives to protect the democratic rights and freedoms we enjoy today.
These are the men and women who left families and friends behind, as they went across the oceans to defend our country and our way of life in the First and Second World Wars and the Korean War.
While many lost their lives during the conflicts, many others, who showed equal valour and patriotism, survived and came home to try to pick up where they left off before enlisting.
It wasn’t easy for them, as they also went through the horrors of war and sadly left comrades behind.
Most of them suffered silently because there were few people they could talk to about their war experiences, as only those who went through it could really understand.
Even spouses and children only caught glimpses of the deep heartbreak these men and women kept buried inside of their souls.
For those of us who were fortunate enough to have parents or grandparents share some of their experiences and the lessons they learned.
We were taught that freedom was not a gift to be underestimated, but rather it’s a right that we have to earn each and every day of our lives.
For some folks, Remembrance Day is every day because they have lost loved ones who will never be replaced.
Until recently, those who attended the Remembrance Day ceremonies witnessed the deeply ingrained sadness in the eyes of our veterans, especially the older ones who could no longer hold back the tears from welling in their still fiercely proud eyes.
Now, most of those veterans, with their hollowed faces and trembling hands, have left us.
Before they go, however, their eyes still show that glint of pride, as they hold out the torch for us to carry on.
When we stand in silence at the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month this Sunday, we should give thanks to those brave men and women, as we empathize with the families they left behind.
However, we should also reach out and grab that torch and make a vow to never take the rights and freedoms we have today for granted.
We must vow to earn and protect those rights on a daily basis.
Lest we forget!
