11.11.11

I was up early to watch the various morning shows and naturally “the talk” is about 11.11.11 and what could it mean?  Bottom line, it’s a cool number!  And guess what, a movie of this title is coming out on, when?, this date!   Ooooh Aaah

            Today is Remembrance Day, a day that was instituted back in 1918  to commemorate the fallen men of World War I.  The war ended at the 11^th hour on the 11^th day of the 11^th month and originally it was the Commonwealth countries that celebrated this day.  King George V dedicated the day the following year as an annual remembrance.  Regardless of how a person may feel about war I still feel that it is important to honour our soldiers, living and dead, because they are doing what they believe is important for the protection of our country and others around the world.  As I say, regardless of how you personally may feel about war, this is a day to respect our fallen.            I therefore find it odd that 3 of our provinces do not hold this as a statutory holiday (Ontario, Manitoba and Quebec).  Why is that?

            I know many of us take this day as a holiday without really thinking about its significance.  We take it for granted that we live in a safe country, perhaps the safest country in the world.  Shame on us.  We ought to spend a few minutes at least giving thanks to those who have fought and died in, what they believed, was the cause of freedom, peace and safety.  The last four generations of my family was spared direct conflict in war although my parents lived through Occupied Denmark in World War II.  They were both children, Dad was 15 when the war ended, Mom was 12.  My Uncle Poul and our cousin Verner were both freedom fighters and risked their lives many times in the cause to undermine the Germans during the occupation.  My grandfather’s ship was torpedoed, twice in one week, during World War I and yet he managed to live to tell the tale.  My family was lucky.  Many families were not as fortunate.

            Canada has been fortunate for two hundred years in the fact that they have not been invaded by foreign hostiles since the War of 1812.  But let us not take our safety for granted.  Bow your head in silence for one minute, a simple minute, to give thanks to our brave soldiers, living and dead.

            Thank you.