On this Remembrance Day, as on every other in my memory, I feel deep emotion...regret, sadness, gratitude, love, sorrow, hope, and so much more.
I struggle with ambiguous feelings...I watch our veterans and I feel such compassion and gratitude for their lives, their choices, those friends they miss and whose futures were sacrificed for the freedom we - you and I - now have to pursue whatever we want. Would you like to be rich? Thank someone who went to war. Want to lie around on your couch all day in relative obscurity? Thank someone who got up and went somewhere far away, terrified or perhaps brave, and physically fought for your right to do so.
Remember, too, the 'other' side, full of the same passionate, courageous and often afraid young men and women, far from home and hoping to get back some day...many never fulfilling that hope.
At the same time I am feeling gratitude, I feel a deep abhorrence for war, and for the devastation of lives which results from it. I am not naive, and I understand that sometimes ideals must be fought for...but somewhere deep inside, I fundamentally believe that WE ARE ALL ONE. I do not believe there are truly such things as enemies, and I know that each of us is only human, wanting the most and the best for ourselves and those we love.
If we are to cultivate peace on our beautiful planet, we must begin to cherish our similarities and to celebrate our differences. This is an over-used saying - 'celebrate our differences.' Here is how to do it: start with yourself. When you meet someone whose opinions strongly differ from your own, be curious instead of judgemental.
Patience, tolerance, PEACE - all start from within each of us. Peace is not 'out there' and 'they' should not stop fighting.
When my child sings remembrance songs in school assembly today, I can sense a hope for mankind. They do not truly understand what they are singing about, but because we have bothered to teach them about our history, perhaps they will create a different and better future. Remember, though, that we are still here. It is not just up to the children, and it is not up to the future...it is up to each of us, NOW, in every moment and with every choice, to cultivate PEACE ON EARTH.
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2 comments:
What a beautiful post, Shauna! Yes, it IS still up to us, and I applaud you for pointing that out.
People tend to think that they are "too old," or that something is the job of a different, younger generation, and I completely disagree with that.
Yes, there are things that younger, different generations can do that some of the more seasoned people may not have have the connections or the mindset for. However - for each and every person - as long as we can take a breath, we can make a difference towards Peace.
Thanks again, Shauna. You are my Hero. :)
Thanks so much, Aaron. I've been away and just saw your lovely comment.
I got several comments from that post via email, actually, so it must have hit a nerve - which is good! I certainly felt the need to share my feelings that day.
We all have the future in our hands - each and every one of us.
Enjoy yours, and thanks as always for stopping by!
Shauna
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