In the years that I have been blogging I’ve dipped in and out. My guest poster today started around the same time as me and has gone from strength to strength, gaining a huge loyal fan base and writing a book or three. My awe would easily turn into jealousy were it not for the fact that Kathryn is just so….lovely. Wife to The Farmer and mother to Amy, she lives in what looks like paradise from the photographs, which is as close as I will get because a) it’s very far North of the m25 and b) it looks like it might occasionally be muddy. Regardless, you will find her all over the internet, being kind and generous and welcoming, which is what blogging should be all about. Here, Crystal Jigsaw shares her thoughts on Remembrance:
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Traditionally, Remembrance Day is a day of reflection where we can give thanks to all the incredibly brave men and women who lost their lives in order to maintain our freedom. When someone says to me “Remembrance”, I immediately think of World War One. But as we know, over the years there has been an immense amount of tragic deaths at the hands of wars and this is a fact we all have to live with every day. But on this most melancholy of days, I always remember my father, who, even though he never fought in a war as he was only born in 1943, he would have lay down his life to save me, my siblings and my mother. He would have thought nothing of fighting in a war if it meant saving our skin. I remember my dad every day of my life; he’s been dead over ten years now but it still feels like yesterday when my mum rang me to say he’d collapsed and was in hospital.
Our troops who never return home have left families with young children and parents who then have to go through the roller-coaster of trying to find the answers as to why their child was taken first. As a nation, we are incredibly proud of people who put their lives at risk for our wellbeing, and gratitude is something we will feel forever. But we must never forget their families; the days they have ahead of them, waking each morning and remembering their loved one is no longer with them but is instead another name on a concrete obelisk that is a memorial.
When we lost my dad, we planted trees in his memory. One is a slow growing oak tree that I can see from my window. I sometimes look at that tree and feel sadness for the wonderful man who is no longer able to fight for his family, but most of the time I look at it and feel intense joy. That tree will always be there, even after I’ve gone. It will always face towards my house as it sways in the breeze. It will always shed its leaves during autumn, looking bare and vulnerable throughout winter. And one day, I hope someone will plant a tree for me, right next to my dad’s. I hope our branches will touch and our leaves will fall together. I hope we can dance in the warm summer breeze and offer a nest to an array of birds.
Our hearts will be filled with Remembrance Day as we continue through life, but for some, Remembrance Day will be every day. To me, the 11th November signifies the beautiful memories we will always possess within our thoughts as we remember our loves ones and those people who fought to the death.
Kathryn Brown
www.crystaljigsaw.blogspot.com
Twitter: @CrystalJigsaw
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