Photo by Simon Godfrey on Unsplash
It’s a strange feeling, the whole Lockdown situation. Not sure what the next guidelines will be, always wondering if you’re following them correctly or if they’ve changed, wondering if everyone else is okay and coping with the situation, as well as not knowing what you can do to help them if they’re not. I’ve seen a lot of posts and comments on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter etc where people are saying 2020 has definitely been the ‘worst year ever’ and that it surely can’t get much worse. However, that’s just one generation saying that, other generations may disagree. They may have lived through something else which they would class as ‘the worst year ever’ or maybe even ‘the worst years ever’ meaning more than one!
Immediately there are not 1, but 2 sets of years which come to mind when we talk about that. 1914-1918 and 1939-1945. For those of you who may not recognise the significance of these years straight away, they are the timespans of when World War 1 and World War 2 took place. For those 2 time periods, society would have come to a complete stand still but it would have looked so different to now, because not only did they need to stay inside but there were times where lights had to be shut off, places were boarded up and TV’s weren’t a thing for entertainment, which means mobiles were a definite no go! This meant that even that contact to find out if your loved ones were safe may not be a possibility.
There is no comparison between now and then that can really be made, but it does seem like it is compared to a lot lately. However, although they may not be similar, sacrifices were made in both time periods, whether that’s the sacrifice now of people’s time and health to help those around them, or whether it’s the full-on sacrifice of their whole life by going off to war like they did all those years ago.
11th November is coming up and that is a time to remember those in the war who gave their lives for us, those who were affected, those who returned but never came back the same, and those who continue to sacrifice their all for our country today. It’s sometimes hard to remember when we have other things going on in our lives, especially as the majority of you who will be reading this blog (including me) were not around to experience any of it. However, without those who went off to war, and made that sacrifice, life like we know it most likely wouldn’t even exist. It would look so much different.
Cynthia Ozick, an American writer, once said:
"We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude."
It’s definitely easy to take the sacrifices made for granted when we haven’t experienced it first hand, but that doesn’t mean they are not important.
So, on Wednesday, at 11am, take 2 minutes to be silent. Remember those who have lost their lives in war, remember the families of those who have been lost, remember those who are still struggling with the trauma that comes from war, and also take a moment to remember those who may be close to you that are struggling and needing some support. We can show that gratitude, it doesn’t have to be in a big show, but even the smallest time of silence can be a time to remember.
Keep safe,
Antony.
This week’s resource…
Remember: 2 Minutes Silence
Can be found: Anywhere you like.
About: At 11am on Wednesday, take 2 minutes in silence to remember, pray or whatever you may do to help you remember those who sacrificed all for this country and world.
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