Remembrance Day

Throughout my years in Elm. and High school, I have a very fuzzy memory of what the Remembrance assemblys were like. I know we had them every year. Someone, or a class would recite the poem in Flanders Fields, maybe the band would play and there was a moment of silence. Although I was aware of the importance of the day, it didn't really affect me. However, I don't know what has changed, but today I was subbing at the high school in Merrit and they put on the most amazing assembly I have ever been to. It was about 40 min long, which at first I thought was going to be a bit much. But it wasn't at all.. I think the reason it hit hard for me is because the students were talking about the men who are overseas right now. I think when I used to think about this day, it was remembering those who died way before my time, but this time it is different. The students had a slide show, of the men who are overseas, and then they did a tribute to the 42 men who have died since going over there a few years ago. Between the pictures, the music, and just thinking about everything it was hard for me to hold back my tears.
They also played that song Imagine by John Lennon, and it got me thinking: what kind of world do we live in? Is it ever going to get better, will we ever have peace, or is it always going to be something we have to imagine... It is kind of scary to think about in some ways. I appreciate what the men are doing for us, and the country, but at the same time it breaks my heart to think that these men, are missing out on everything they had here in Canada, whether it was children, a wife a girlfriend, family etc.
So as I sit here at the computer, living a fairly decent life, I have to think to myself I am pretty lucky to live in this country... And to that I send my thoughts and prayers, to those who have died in war years ago, presently, and especially to those who are currently fighting. "lest we forget"