November 11th is a big deal for me. It always has been and always will be. Canada's experience of the 20th Century was shaped in countless ways by the struggle, losses, and successes of both World Wars. Korea, and U.N. and N.A.T.O. missions from 1956 to Afghanistan.
What do my daughters at 6½ and 3½ need to know about Remembrance Day? Here's what I told them this morning.
Wars are horrible things. Both World Wars involved Canadians fighting around the world so people could be free to make their own decisions about their own lives and could live without fear of being taken away. Many Canadians died in the wars, 100,000 in both world wars. My grandmother had an uncle who died in WWI. How sad would they be if one of their uncles were killed? Peace is something that we and they need to work towards, but because we do that I don't believe there will be another big war and I wanted them to know that.
We're planning to go to the community service on November 11th. I hope they're going to be there without fear but with just enough sadness. Some things are sad and its good to feel that way about them.
B.
Agreed re: some things are sad and it is appropriate to feel that way.
ReplyDeleteI think this was a touching balance between respecting the past, our country, and the girls' sense of reality.