We often hear the phrase, "lest we forget" on Remembrance Day. Here at Pacific Gardens, we do not forget, and we remember and honour those who have served.
It is a day filled with many memories, some sad, even frightening, some happy, even joyous, for our older residents who lived through the war.
For David, one of our elders who was a child during the bombing of Britain, it brings back the sounds of screams as the bombs fell near his home in Plymouth. They haunt him still.
For Eileen, her memories are both sad and happy. She recalls the suffering of the service men she nursed, but also the wonderful night when she met the man of her dreams, an airman from Canada.
They fell in love, and she came to Canada as a war bride, her life forever changed. Every year she puts on her RAF uniform and attends the Remembrance Day ceremony at the Nanaimo cenotaph.
She also helps Mia put together a special display commemorating Canada's military in the front hall outside our dining room, with poppies, historical books, photos, memorabilia, posters, and the poem, "In Flanders Fields".
For those of us who are younger, it helps us to understand the true nature of war, and the sacrifices made by so many. We are blessed indeed to have lived in times of peace.
Kathryn
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