I suppose I’m fortunate that no one on my side of the family has ever been involved in a war.  That’s not to say that I don’t know anyone who hasn’t experienced war.  My father-in-law was still in Holland when the Germans invaded during the Second World War.  And my sister-in-law’s cousin spent two terms in Vietnam during the late ‘60s.  He still has nightmares.

As I get older, though, Remembrance Day ceremonies seem to take on more and more significance.  Had my father-in-law not been hidden by Canadian soldiers during the German invasions, he wouldn’t have been able to make it to Canada after the war, and I wouldn’t be married to my wonderful wife.  That’s a thought that can sober you up pretty quickly.

While most ceremonies tend to take place on a cold, rainy morning, the almost pleasant weather seemed to bring more people out for the Maple Ridge Remembrance Day ceremonies at Peace Memorial Park last Wednesday.  Not that I’d like to see fewer people coming out, but I have a bit of a preference for the cold, gray, dismal morning, simply because I don’t believe that war should be remembered on a warm sunny day.  There’s nothing pleasant about it at all.

Andrew Douglas (ad@ridgemeadowspost.com)