I looked back over the years at how I celebrate Remembrance Day.

I remember when I was a cub and then a scout. I would be in my uniform, and I would march in a community parade in Montreal. I forget the starting point, but the destination was the cenotaph in the nearby park.

November in the big city was unpredictable. It could be a bright fall day or snowbanks to overcome.  I never missed one.

My Dad had a medical exemption from fighting overseas. When not at work or on his annual two-week vacation, he spent his time in the reserves. I didn’t have any first-hand experience with close family who experienced fighting.

In those years, right after the war, the slogan was about remembering the fallen.

As the population aged, the slogan broadened its appeal. It was something like, If you can’t remember, think.” I’m clearly paraphrasing here.

The longstanding slogan has stood the test of time, ‘Lest we Forget.”

This phrase is commonly used in English-speaking countries. It was first used in Rudyard Kipling’s 1897 Christian poem “Recessional.”

The concept of being careful not to forget was already present in the bible. I won’t go into a long quote here, but it appears in Deuteronomy.

Lest We Forget became common after World War I throughout the British Commonwealth. It is often found as the only wording on war memorials.

I keep a strong connection to those Canadians who gave their lives in past wars. When I visited Juno Beach a few years ago, we brought back a tiny sample of the sand from the actual Juno Beach. It is the centrepiece on our table for a few days each year.

Regardless of the weather, I attend the November 11 ceremonies at our local cenotaph. I confess to taking along my hand warmers on years when the temperature is bitterly cold. I spend extra time thinking of those soldiers who fought and or died in circumstances beyond my ability to imagine.

I am grateful for the life I have every day, but I am especially grateful on November 11 at 11:00 a.m.

Lest I forget.

Please give this a bit of a think. Do you have rituals you follow on November 11?

Photo by David Clode on Unsplash

I am curious about your thoughts. Please email me with your bit of a think.

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glenn.walmsley@icloud.com