Armistice Day

So I hadn't thought about Rememberance Day really, until we had a moment of silence at 11am. One of the first things on my mind this morning when I got to work was the December rotas, and how I got my wish and was not scheduled to work on Boxing Day. Then during the two minutes of silence, I thought about not just the soldiers who have lost their lives overseas during any of the wars within the past 100 years, but also the troops who are there now, serving both the UK and the USA, and how many of them won't make it home for Christmas at all. In that moment it suddenly seemed a bit silly, my concern about having Boxing Day off, when at least I'm here with Adam, at least we'd have Christmas Day together even if I had been scheduled to work, and at the end of the day I still get to come home to him every night. How many people have been called away to spend months or even a year or more halfway across the world, how many families have had to be missing their loved ones, have had to worry for their safety, and spend special days without them? I'm still grateful that I'll have the time off work to spend with the family at Christmas and Boxing Day, but it makes me think of all of those who are giving up so much to fight for our countries, and how sad it is that they have to be there. I've been against the war in Iraq from day one, and I've always had a lot of empathy for those who get called up to serve, and for their families who have to watch them go and can have no say in when they'll be back.

I can remember when I was in 6th grade, and the first war in Iraq broke out back in the early 90's. I remember one of our teachers having a rant at us, about how this was all going on and we didn't care. Well, to be fair I think it didn't really touch our lives then, this was something that was going on half the world away, and we were at an age when most of our family members would've been either too young or too old to get called up. But when 9/11 happened, here we were in our early 20's, having to worry about many of the people we knew and what this might mean for them. I feel lucky that no one really close to me has had to go, some I've been acquainted with have, and some people close to those I know, but I know how scared I was at the time that someone I loved might have had to go. It's just sad that this has gone on for so long, and I don't know that we're really seeing a light at the end of the tunnel ahead. But for today, for Rememberance Day, and for the upcoming holidays, I hope we'll all think of all of those out there who have served their country, or are currently serving, and the family members of those who are there now and of those who haven't returned. I don't have any more words left, but just know that my thoughts are with you.