Today, November 11, marks a day of remembrance on a global scale. It is a day to pay our respects to the men and women who gave their lives for their country, and further, to fight for and protect our freedom, and we are forever indebted to them for their sacrifice.
The 11th day of November, for as long as I can recall, has a mournful feel to it for me, personally, as I think it should. There are many emotions that are applicable to this day of remembrance, and it is fitting that grief is one of them for me, and arguably for a lot of others. To allow ourselves to stop and contemplate the number of lives that were given for us by people we do not know is astounding, and I believe sadness is an emotion we should experience when thinking about such tremendous sacrifice.
I do not feel as though a single day in a given calendar year is enough to pay our respects to those who have fallen in battle. Remembering those who have died in the line of duty is something we should practice daily as we will never know the physical, mental and emotional effects of war as our fallen soldiers knew, and for this reason, I encourage you to take the time to read the following poem today and every day.
In Flanders Fields
By John McCrae
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.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
We remember, and lest we forget.
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