Remembering, honouring, and reminding

'There is no greater sacrifice than that of laying down one's life for others' was the recurring theme of speakers who addressed the several hundred people gathered around the cenotaph which, despite its smallness, stood tall in the eyes of those whose hearts were heavy with the pain of loss, loss not only of a loved sibling, father, grandfather, or great grandfather but the universal loss of innocence and goodness that comes with wars, wars which have stolen from humanity the lives of millions, soldiers and civilians alike, in the 20th and 21st centuries.

And yet, in the gently-warming sun of mid-morning, in a little corner of Laval, light years and eons away from land mines in Afghanistan, trenches at Ypres, and the horror of Hiroshima, one could sense all that is noble in humanity, as hearts and minds and souls converged on the simple truth that wars, for all of their disastrous ramifications, often wrench the truth from us all – that no matter what flag, or ideology, or religious belief, or political-economic system we embrace, we never cease to be responsible for the brothers and sisters with whom we share this planet.

Casting a look into the eyes and hearts of those present at the Ville de Laval Remembrance Day observance, the thought quickly struck home that as no man is an island, so too no country is an oases, regardless of how large the military force, nuclear arsenal or legion of misguided suicide-bombers it counts among its 'assets' of so-called power.

It is, no doubt, precious and priceless and purifying and purposeful to gather on Remembrance Day, as did hundreds in front of city hall this past Sunday to remember the sacrifices and mourn the loss of those who have died in battle, but it is infinitely more helpful to begin the search for peace within ourselves and pass it on to others, out of love, devotion and respect for those who live - our families, our neighbourhoods, our communities, and our brothers and sisters throughout the world.

Photo Front

(Photo: Martin Alarie)