Remembrance Day….
What a minefield of emotions this day always brings. My father, Ralph T Stoner, served as an
Artillery Gunner with the 10th St Catherines’ Field Battery. And he served proudly
too. He passed away in 1987 and I still miss him an awful lot - especially today.
He loved this country and I am so
proud to see so many of his values have been taken up by my own children. My oldest son William, can be quite eloquent
in his passion for this country and what his grandfather fought for. I pray that my grandchildren will also learn
from history, and our influences, what it means to live free in this country.
And now, I’ve just seen news that there is to be a new memorial to the 93,000Canadian soldiers who took part in the Allied invasion of Italy during theSecond World War. And yes, my
father was one of the 93,000. My sister and I will look into seeing how we can contribute.
I have posted in the past on Remembrance Day and
what it means to me. But I wanted to
say, that this year, I am so gratified to see how much participation there
seems to be in ceremonies and observances. On FaceBook this morning, non-Remembrance Day posts seem out of place. And there seems to be growing respect. Thank you to those who are too young to have their own memories, but are old enough to understand we need to remember.
My undying thanks and gratitude will always be to
those men and women (and awfully young boys at times, too) who laid down their
lives to preserve what too many of us take for granted today.
Thank you.
Liz
3 comments:
You did it again Liz... I sit here with my wadded up Kleenex with so many emotions. People say "Why do you get so teary on November 11th? Your dad came home." But how can I not get all teary remembering how emotional he would be on this day as he remembered his fallen friends. I'm so very proud of William and his desire to remember something he can't possible truly remember. His grandfather would burst with pride for him.... here's to you dad... miss you terribly.
Sorry. But yes…just finished watching the service from Ottawa… with my red swollen nose and ruined eye make up. It so hard to watch at time and so many emotions….but loved the last interview from the crowds….a WWII vet, who vowed to live to be 100, so he could be killed by a jealous husband. Priceless moment and much needed relief.
Proud of William's maturity and insight as well. Indeed, hopefully if Dad were alive now to see how my three children have grown, he'd be reassured the sacrifices made were worth it.
Yes we watched the same interview... God love him, I laughed out loud at that one! I think dad knew the sacrifices were worth it when it came to a family that I don't think he ever really expected to have. And I KNOW he was already proud of your three kids...!
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