“In Flanders fields the poppies blow between the crosses, row on row”
Wednesday was Remembrance Day in Canada; we took the time to acknowledge the soldiers who have served in the past and still fight in the present.
“That mark our place; and in the sky the larks, still bravely singing, fly scarce heard amid the guns below.”
My friend and I went to a free showing of the movie Hyena Road in the afternoon. The movie is set in Afghanistan and shows the struggles of Canadian soldiers and the innocent citizens living in a war zone. The small children who have grown up to see war as normal haunted me. And the mental and physical strength of the soldiers is humbling.
“We are the Dead. Short days ago we lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, loved and were loved, and now we lie”
Friday, another attack on innocent people – this time in Paris.
“Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw the torch; be yours to hold it high.”
The people of Paris have shown that they will take up the fight against this violence … but with compassion. They opened their homes to those that were stranded by using Twitter and the hashtag #PorteOuverte. They lined up for hours to donate blood. Paris taxi drivers turned off their meters. And Facebook set up a page for family and friends to check on love ones. These normal citizens have become heroes for many.
The world mourns another senseless act like New York’s Twin Towers and London’s 7/7. Our large western cities are a little more fearful but I am grateful that despite these violent acts, I can raise my child in Canada, far from daily acts of war.
If you wish to read more about these events, please follow any of the blue links in the post.
Quotes from: John McCrae, In Flanders Field.
In the comments, please share articles that you read this week that helped you SPROUT some BALANCE! And remember to follow us and SPROUT a conversation on Twitter – @sproutbalance
Sprouting Balance 