Painting by Belynda Wilson Thomas
In Flanders fields the poppies blow. Between the crosses, row on row.That mark our place; and in the sky. The larks, still bravely singing, fly. Scarce heard amid the guns below.
John McCrae
Remembrance Day is a day to remember sacrifice and service. I’m seeing photos of service men and women on Facebook. What a group of brave men and women. Mom, my fountain of information on the Second World War and the great depression died this year, and now I have to rely only on history books.
She told me her first husband never felt he fit anywhere like he had in the army. At our writer’s group on Saturday, I heard a quote, “What hardens an egg, softens a potato.” We don’t know when we are in circumstances if we will be the egg or the potato. The army made people into people they didn’t know they could be, and it destroyed lives, even if they came out with all limbs still attached.
Will we rise above the circumstances or be destroyed by them, and is it our choice? I saw a post on Facebook about spilled coffee and how whatever is in our cup is what we’ll spill, so we need to fill our cup with gratitude, joy, love, understanding, forgiveness, etc. But, one person responded to that post as if it was blaming the victim.
I don’t think people should not feel wronged by injustice. Wrongs that can be righted should be, and equal opportunity should be offered to all as much as possible.
Terrible things have happened to people who overcame them and lived great lives, and some have given up in the face of adversity and never rose again. Is this the choice, not what happens to us, but how we react?
Patriotism is not dying for one’s country, it is living for one’s country. Perhaps that is not as romantic but it is better. Agnes Macphail
We don’t know what will happen in our lives, or how we will react. We think we will take things in stride, roll with the punches, and overcome adversity, but until it happens we’ll never know. We don’t even know if it is better to become harder or softened by life. Too hard is brittle, and too soft is mush, but somewhere in between is the sweet spot.
I was blessed to have a mother who lived through a lot, life threw a lot of punches at her, especially in the early years, but she came through with a good outlook on life.
Is a lot of life what we make of the circumstances we find ourselves in? Do we make things better or worse by the attitude we choose? Is choosing our mindset within our control?
We owe a debt to the men and women who served. Growing up and living in peace and plenty isn’t something we can take for granted. We never know when we might have to take a stand, and we won’t all agree on when, how, and what to fight for. Can we all say, I am willing to do, what I can do for my country?
Our obligations to our country never cease but with our lives. John Adams
As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them. John F. Kennedy
Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of a readiness to die. G.K. Chesterton
Thank you for reading this post. Please come back and read some more. Have a blessed day filled with gratitude, joy, and love.
