Lest we Forget...

Yes, it's another sentimental Rememberance Day post.

It's always been a very special day to me. My father was military, my grandfather was military, even I was military for a little while, back in the day. It's always been a very important day in our household, and to me it's always been the 2nd most important holiday of the year.

But for whatever reason, because it's falling on a Saturday this year, the EPSB has decided (unlike most other school boards in the province) not to give a day in lieu on Monday. Which means that, unlike most of you, I'll be back into work at 8 AM, teaching your kids just like any other day.

And yes, I grumped a bit about it. So did a lot of my fellow teachers. Cause it does suck a little bit. But then, just like in some cliched movie, something different happened, and I stopped complaining.

In my class are a significant number of children who are from countries at war. Most of them have no personal memories of the conflicts, but they've relatives that they'll never meet, relatives who never made it out of their countries, who died in the war. Some of them DO remember. They're young and innocent, they don't really understand, nor were they old enough to really remember the siblings they lost. But hearing a young girl tell you matter-of-factly about her little sister who died with a bullet in her heart...it brings it back to reality.

Be thankful. Remember those who weren't so lucky as us. I don't ever want to hear a story like that again.