Lest we forget...

I spent Veteran's Day today at the Fort Logan National Cemetery....it was a moving experience to say the least.  I've never been to a cemetery that large before and I was completely overwhelmed.  I tried to maneuver the little twisting roads with tears in my eyes, thinking with every turn I would see the end of these tiny little white gravestones....but with every turn I came upon acres more.  It was heart wrenching.  To think that all these gravestones memorialize someone's father, mother, sister, brother, aunt, uncle, best friend.....I couldn't help but sit in my car and cry.  I knew none of them, but felt the weight of all of them as I sat gazing at these white plaques literally as far as my eye could see.

Veterans Day, or as we in Canada refer to it as Remembrance Day, is a very important day for me, personally.  Both of my Grandfathers were in the service in one form or another.  My Grandpa Humphreys fudged his age and joined at 16 so that he could serve in WWII, where he was promptly sent overseas.  My Grandpa Severny retired as a Submariner.  He was based in just about every naval base in Canada throughout his years in the service.  He died in 2001, just a few days before Remembrance Day......at his funeral all of us grandkids pinned poppys to a heart shaped pillow with his medals attached to it.  It's a very special memory.

One thing I miss a lot about being in Canada for Remembrance Day is wearing my poppy proudly on my lapel for those weeks leading up to Nov. 11th.  I decided the least I could do was make my own....so this sad little poppy is courtesy of google images and my printer :)  I plan on making sure I have a proper one for next year, but sometimes you just have to improvise.