I Will Remember

This morning—Veterans Day in the U.S.—I drove, as an exercise in grateful reflection, through several local cemeteries. In one park-like setting, the grave markers are all marble tablets, laid in rows. A great many have flowers alongside, placed there by some friend or family member. There are flags too, denoting the sites of those who had served in the military. I knew that doubtless some of these men and women had given their lives in that service, and I asked God to comfort those who loved them. I will remember.

One of the cemeteries I visited is very old. By way of contrast, some of the grave monuments there are truly monumental; many are three or four feet tall, a few I estimated at more than six feet. There are quite a number of benches, and even a few small structures, privately built. Obviously, great effort was given to honoring the departed. But noticeably absent on this day of remembrance were the flowers and flags. “Why?” I wondered.

Perhaps, because they died so long ago, their friends and families too are gone. The younger generations have moved away, never even knowing their ancestors who fought for them in the two World Wars. And while the grounds are well-kept by those who have pledged perpetual care, there are few personal memories in evidence. Then I will remember.

In 1897, Rudyard Kipling wrote a poem for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. The words, “Lest we forget,” form the refrain of each verse. Some years later, following “The Great War,” the phrase became linked with Remembrance Day observations, becoming a plea not to forget the sacrifices of those who had fought for freedom. So I will remember.

MaryMartha
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Email: mrymrtha@gmail.com