Remembering Remembrance Day - Beautiful Calling

Our Cenotaph Flag

On Thursday morning I thought about posting a poppy as my post. Then I thought I would share photos of our trip to the cenotaph later that day. Then the day didn’t go as planned.

Then I was sad that Remembrance Day had went unremembered on my site.

Heading to the bus to take advantage of the free transportation to and from the Cenotaph

Remembrance Day we made sticker poppies for the littles to wear. {Mommy should wear a sticker one!} We talked about how we were remembering the soldiers that fought (and are fighting) and those that have died. We talked about how our brave soldiers fought bad men so we could be safe.

I find it hard to explain war to my littles at 2 and 3.

I don’t like war. Often, TV glamorizes war; too often nations are anxious to run into it. They make it look easy, simple.

But war is ugly. Messy. Bloody.

and

sometimes

necessary.

I know my freedom wasn’t free. I’m thankful for those who made the sacrifice. I cry when I sing O, Canada. I’m proud of my country, flaws and all. And I’m thankful for the our Allies. For all the flaws of the USA, I’m thankful for them. Where would Canada be without them?

But with war, there is never a winner. Just someone who loses less.

Soldiers lose lives and those who live lose something too. Innocence? Optimism? Sanity? I don’t know. I’ve never fought a war, had comrades die around me, had to kill someone. But it has to change you.

War affects everyone. Friends. Family. Strangers.

I hate war. I hate fighting and violence. I want the world to be a nice place, one where we {somehow} all live in harmony. I don’t want there to be crime and hurt. And I don’t want to have to explain it all to my little ones.