Remember to remember #100years

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them.

I was blessed on Friday to be invited to attend a service of remembrance along with our "Leader within" delegates, at Hill Holt Wood. It's something that they have been doing for around the past 20 years.

Its a very moving experience as you stand in silence in between the ancient tress with just birdsong and the rustling of leaves. A far cry from the cacophony of noise that I can only imagine for those young men in the trenches of the Great war. In fact the noise of all battle fields since then where men, women and loyal animals faced scenes no human should have to endure.

The last post was played and a readings given, followed by a lone piper. I'll be honest and say that I had to keep casting my eyes to the heavens to hold back the tears. As we walked back I was chatting with delegates from our course, so many with memories of family members lost in wars gone by.

I recall as a small child wearing my great grandfathers medals, at such a tender age having no idea of the horrors he had seem in the Battle of the Somme. He never spoke of it, I remember my dad saying he had asked him about it when he had been a young man and he simply wouldn't speak of it. He took those stories to the grave with him.

There was little support back then for veterans, the treatments for "Shell shock" what we would now term at PTSD was very lacking back then and little understood no doubt. It was all covered over by the very British "Stiff upper lip". Sadly, there is still more work needed to support our ex service personnel .

I've also been so moved by the community in our village, who have done amazing work to remember the fallen of the Great War, with silhouettes and plaques detailing the names and history of each man lost.

What a poignant tribute to these brave men who left so much behind.

Credit: Simon Longson, Grant Fillingham , Geoff Lloyd , Dez Williams,
Andrew Vaughan Sarah Markall and others from Swinderby.

I wonder as the generations coming through have no direct knowledge of those lost, will they still be remembered in the way we remember them today? I for one hope that they do, so that there may be a time when there are no wars.

I would love to say that we had learnt from the past, yet still there are wars around the World today. I have hope that there will be a day that humankind will evolve beyond this.

From the many posts I have seen on social media today I found a video with a message to us all as we live a life that many didn't get the chance to have.....

On this day, even more than ever,
just for them...I urge you to MAKE EVERY MOMENT COUNT
Lisa xx