We will remember......

‘At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.’

Remembrance Sunday saw a huge gathering of people and community groups at our local cenotaph. You couldn’t have wished for a nicer day for the act of remembrance. The air was cold but crisp and the sun shone down on us all. Our town really does know how to come together for times such as this.

It makes me think of how relevant Remembrance Day is for us now. When I was little I didn’t really get it. I saw the poppies and knew that we remembered the men and women who laid down their lives for our freedom in past wars, but still it didn’t relate to me so much.

Nowadays, through local media coverage, we hear so much more of the current conflicts and wars. We hear of our current armed forces fighting in countries near and far. We see the photographs of the men and women who pay the ultimate price in the name of our country. You probably don’t have to look too far to even know someone in our armed forces who puts their life on the line each day.

It is real.

It is VERY relevant.

It is NOW!

Young people I work with know the value of the day. Many dream of serving our country themselves. They will become the service men and women of the future. They will stand proudly to remember the fallen. They will question when others undervalue the day and choose not to remember and this makes me proud. They ‘get it’, they know the sacrifices some pay. They will remember.

‘When you go home, tell them, for their tomorrow, we gave our today.’