Sunday 11 November 2007

Remembering

Remembering particularly today, my grandfather, who spent the First World War serving in France, in the trenches and his two brothers, who both were fatally wounded there, my father's half brother and my husband's cousin, who were killed fighting in the Second World War. John, my dear friend throughout my teens, who died serving in the army in Northern Ireland in 1975. My father, who was proud to say that he had never aimed a gun at a person in his life, but served in the Medical Corps throughout the war and was prepared to die for his country.

Recalling the memorial tablet I saw in a church in France last month, to a man and his three sons who were all killed in the Napoleonic wars, and of his wife and their mother, who was left to outlive them.

Praying particularly today, that the leaders whose ambition, beliefs or self-justification lead to conflict will talk and listen instead.

Remembering, with affection, Kit, who died yesterday.

And thinking of my beloved mother, whose birthday is today. She died in March 03, and in our last six months together we put behind us the difficulties of the previous fifteen years. When we were told the diagnosis of untreatable cancer, that time fell away and we both felt the pure love and unity of my childhood years.

11 comments:

Unknown said...

Lovely post. I'm not a religious sort, so I wont be praying. I do, however observe the 2 minute silence, and REMEMBER!!

Z said...

There are those who think that Remembrance Day is about war, but it is about peace. We celebrate the armistice.

dharmabum said...

your post makes me cry, z.

Z said...

Me too, honey.

Pat said...

Goodness Z it is an extra special day for you. I find as one gets older One is more and more moved by the stories of all those young men who were complete strangers. I find the whole day very sad but comforting also, to know that in this country we still think it is vital to respect their memory and give thanks for their unimaginable sacrifices.
And no Remembrance day does NOT glorify war; it remind one of the horror and the heartbreaking waste.

Anonymous said...

Indeed, a lovely post.

Z said...

Pat, I find the same. I also think that, with our awareness of current wars and the emphasis of teaching 20th Century history in schools, young people respect the occasion more than was the case a few years ago. Although I completely respect the feelings of absolute pacifists, I rather resent the hijacking of the poppy. Having a symbolic white poppy is a clear implication that the red poppy is warlike and it is absolutely not.

Welcome, Thursday, and thank you. It seems we both know Steg?

Arabella said...

Thanks for this.

Z said...

xx

Anonymous said...

And to know Steg is to love him.

Z said...

Absolutely. I didn't realise how much I would love people I haven't actually met, but Steg is a complete gem.