Lest we forget~ Why we need to remember

This year, I struggled to find a Poppy for Remembrance Day. Finally, I found a place to donate for one this Tuesday—at my workplace.

In previous years, I never struggled to find a place where I could donate for a Poppy. You could find them at grocery stores, the shopping mall—everywhere. Where have all the Poppies gone? Are we forgetting?

I was lucky enough to have gotten them from a man whom I will lovingly refer to as Pops. In his younger days, he had been a Navy man and held the golden gloves in boxing. He was a lifetime member and very well-known at the Montgomery Legion located on Kent Street in Downtown Ottawa. He was known by many in the downtown Ottawa area. In the month of November, you could always find him selling Poppies in the Downtown area, and I was blessed enough to have been his friend/family.

I suspect that as the vets get older, there are fewer of them left to sell the Poppies and support the local legions. Why is it that the younger generations aren't stepping up to take over? Have we forgotten their sacrifice? Legions used to host dart nights, Yuker tournaments, poker nights, and monthly dances. Why are we not stepping up to take over and organize any of it? Are we so attached to our phones and TVs?

Lest we forget—those who fought and those who never made it home. I am grateful beyond words for their sacrifice, the freedom, and the comforts that they gave up so that we could have the comforts and liberties that we

have today.

There is another reason why it's so important that we don't forget—why we take history classes and why we study it. Today, cancel culture is very common and it disturbs me. I’m sure what I've said has some of you rolling your eyes, but please hear me.

The reason why we need to remember and learn history, and not just from the "victorious" side but from all sides, is because humanity is lost without it. If we cancel our history, if we remove it or delete any part of it—the good, the bad, and the ugly—then we are bound to repeat it.

From each war, we can look back and, in hindsight, see why things happened or escalated the way they did. All sides have committed atrocities during war—all of them. It's so incredibly important that we listen to the stories from all sides so that we never have to go through it again.

You’ll find that if you learn and understand history, you’ll notice that there are many parallels/similarities between past wars and current wars.

This is why it's important to remember and study history. Nobody wants that to happen again.

I promise, I will remember

With Love

~M