I sat down this morning to write this post and became somewhat overwhelmed with the thought of the sacrifices made by so many. As I have said every Remembrance Day in my blog post since I started a few years back, my Dad served in the Second World War for 3 years and 6 months. I am so incredibly proud of him and all those that served to bring us freedom in that war and all wars before and since. This time though, I want to focus in a different direction.

This morning I want to take time to remember and honour those that are serving in this time of pandemic and overdose crisis. All day, everyday there is someone in a uniform serving our great country and communities that are faced with the threat to not only their lives from those who would seek to do harm, but the threat of picking up the virus from those they came to care for. They face the onslaught of the travesty of overdose deaths daily because so many succumbed to the fear and devastation of what covid has done to our “old way” of living. Those moments will be relived in their minds over and over again, yet they get up each day, don their uniforms and walk through the door to serve and protect.

Firefighters are also to be honoured and remembered in their service. In recent days there was the news story regarding the 16 firefighters that went to California to help fight fires and returned and tested positive for Covid-19. They knew the risks when they left and went anyways. Many fire fighters across our country have lost their lives or suffer PTSD as a result of their dedication, yet many still choose … to serve and protect.

RCMP and city police forces across Canada face the challenge to working to serve and protect the community as well as protecting themselves for their families. Behind each service personnel are the lives of their families. The risk that they take in walking that job each day affects their lives and the lives of their loved ones, yet they do that daily…. to serve and protect.

As we all stop to remember Nov 11, 1918 at 11am when the agreement to end World War 1 was in place, please take time to remember and honour those who have served around us and to their comrades that have both given and lost their lives. Our freedom we have today comes from the many who have served before and is kept by those who give their lives today…. to serve and protect.

Hugs n Prayers

Jackie