The Fallen

It’s November 11th and Veteran’s Day here in the United States. Other’s call it Remembrance Day or Armistice Day and almost every country on earth takes a day during the year to honor those that have served in war. I took my children to the National Cemetery this morning and we walked around and talked a bit about the sacrifices of sons and daughters, mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters. My kids are young so the conversation wasn’t deep but it was important; it was a start. Mainly I made sure they understood that men and women close to us had faced war; they learned that Grandpop, Gumpy and Grandpop’s daddy had all enlisted to serve in some of history’s most terrible wars.

It was a day of reflection for me too. Partly because of the sacrifice of men like my dad and his father, I’ve never had to face the horror of war. As my kids looked about at the wreaths, flowers and flags I wondered what terrible decisions their generation might face as they accept the torch from us. Standing there, amidst a thousand graves, I took a deep breath and wished desperately for a more peaceful world.