Today is Remembrance Day, a holiday to most, but more importantly a day of reflection.
With young children, it's hard to explain the significance of today. When I told my 4 year old that it's a day to remember the soldiers that have gone to battle for Canada, he asks me if they're the same soldiers as his bucket of soldiers from Toy Story 3. It's still kinda lost on them so onto plan B. Today, for the first time since having children, we will be heading to a Remembrance Day ceremony and all though my kids still won't get it entirely they will be there, going through the motions so that this day doesn't just become another day off or worse, a "holiday" as they grow up.
It's not asking much to pause for a moment and reflect at 11:11 this morning. Are we all really so busy that we can't do that? I mean, we've spent more time in a single trip to the bathroom. Look around at everything and everyone that you value most in your life, imagine if it were all gone. Many of these things/people may not have come to be without the sacrifices that others made on our behalves, so really, a moment or two of your time is NOT a sacrifice on your part.
I honestly had a completely different plan for this morning's blog but will save it for later on in the day. I urge you to take that moment of silence this morning and if it all possible, take it with your kids and teach them the importance of this day. It's not just the school's responsibility! Maybe if more parents spent the time teaching their kids how lucky they TRULY are, and to be grateful, then maybe we wouldn't be raising a society of generally rude, self-entitled kids.
If you need a face to make this real, here's a face: Master Corporal Erin Doyle, died August 11, 2008 in an insurgent attack in Afghanistan. From my hometown and a close friend of my father's.
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