Two minutes of silence

It didn’t seem cold when I left my house today at 10:30 am. In fact it seemed rather mild out. I was on my way to the ceremonies related to Remembrance Day. I wondered down to the where the ceremonies would be held. I was one amongst a heard of people going down to watch the reef being laid.

For the first few moments as we were being directed to the spot where we were allowed to stand. Then I saw the flags in the corner of my eye. The elderly gentleman carrying these flags walked down University Avenue marching to the beat of a drum far behind them. The crowd clapped for them and I joined in. Some how, to me, this seemed like a inadequate way to thank them. But in my mind I don’t know of a better way. The crowd was somber as was I as the other troupes marched up next to the veterans. We saw groups of Navy, army and air forces. The RCMP in their red uniforms walked up beside them and then the police and cadets. I watched the cadets and realized they would have very little idea what this ceremony truly means. Their faces were so young…way too young to endure war or even know what it means.

I looked through the crowd of men, women, children and the loan police dog who were there in uniforms to honors those we lost in a war so many years ago and wonder what kind of stories can be told from them. I am sure the elderly have stories that contain more horror than any film. I am curious about what they endure and saw but I don’t want to know. War is frightening and with no first hand experience with war I don’t believe that I can even define it.

When the entire marching crowd had settled into their place the Canadian anthem was sung. I could see emotions in the people around me as they sang out each word. Across the road the veterans sang in a way which almost seemed triumphantly. I thought at that moment that there is no other country in the world I would rather be in than Canada. It may not be perfect but it is a good country with good intentions and still has strong ribbons of hope left in its people. I thank my deity for being Canadian and in the wish hopped that my country would never see the travesty of War again.

During the two minutes of silence I could help but notice the crowd around me. The woman next to me was suffering from the cold as she tried not to move. The police where quietly standing. One of them was shaking. I saw one man wipe a tear from his eye. The police dog sat on the cement patiently waiting to move on. The children in the crowd were even quiet for the most part. In all the experience was a better experience than the one I had in Scotland last year were the moment of silence was interrupted by many tourist who didn’t seem to care.

While the hymn was sang I watched a dropped poppy travel through the regiments of police, RCMP and cadets. The rest of the ceremony was quiet as we watched the reefs being laid. For a moment after it was all over I watched those in uniform march away. At the end of the line I saw what I had missed earlier. There were 4 or 5 soldiers dressed in full combat uniforms. This last thing brought a tear to my eye know as Canadians we still have soldiers deployed on foreign soil. Again I asked my deity to bring the home safely.

As I wonder home chilled from standing in one spot for so long I though how every day we hear more and more about people being killed in countries at war. Every day I become very aware how lucky I am to live on Canadian soil and just how fragile that luck is.