In my salad days, I blithely believed that here in peaceful Canada we had no need of an armed force, or to spend the money on maintaining one. Let’s spend it on education, health care, social welfare was my battle cry (still not bad ways to spend tax money!).
Then somehow, at the constant urging of a friend, I became involved with a passionate group of retired, serving, and civilian members of the ceremonial cavalry squadron of the Governor General’s Horse Guards. I protested long and hard: I didn’t support the armed forces and “why would I want to hang around a bunch of old guys on horses?” said I.
Ha. It turns out that it wasn’t just a group of old guys – there were young ones, too. And women... and the children of those old guys, young guys, and women. One of those “young guys” was a certain master corporal, soon to be sergeant ... soon to be husband.
Almost 20 years and two children later, I find myself neck deep in all things military. Times and beliefs have not only changed for me, though. Many, many Canadians now realize that we have no choice but to provide for a strong military force, if we wish to maintain not only our country and way of life, and to help “keep the peace,” but to remind and reinforce to those who would threaten it, that we can stand up for ourselves.
Fighting words, but in many ways I’d give anything to get that innocence of 20 years ago back. Who would have believed 20 years ago that part of our national highway would be renamed the “Highway of Heroes” in honour of those who have given their lives on behalf of this country... in the last five or so years!
As a reservist, my husband did not have to head off to Bosnia, or, now, to Afghanistan. Although I wonder how long it will be before he cannot resist the lure of putting his years of training and experience to the test, instead of training the young recruits.
Even without heading overseas, my daughters and I have given up most weekends as a family so my husband could train and serve. Family vacations, what are those? Those are training times when hubby/dad travels to Meaford, or “Pet”, or even Gagetown. Still, he is who he is and we love and support him and the values, traditions, beliefs he and his fellow soldiers maintain and support every year, every day, every hour. But, I fear that those who cannot understand peace will take him away, along with many others.
What will this world be like as my daughters become adults? I echo the prayer from Ann Weems:
I NO LONGER PRAY FOR PEACE
On the edge of war, one foot already in,
I no longer pray for peace:
I pray for miracles.
I pray that stone hearts will turnto tender heartedness,
and evil intentions will turn
to mercifulness,
and all the soldiers already deployed
will be snatched out of harm's way,
and the whole world will be astounded onto its knees.
I pray that all the "God talk” will take bones,
and stand up and shed its cloak of faithlessness,
and walk again in its powerful truth.
I pray that the whole world might
sit down together and share
its bread and its wine.
Some say there is no hope, but then I've always applauded the holy fools
who never seem to give up on
the scandalousness of our faith:
that we are loved by God...
that we can truly love one another.
I no longer pray for peace:
I pray for miracles.
Ann Weems
Ash Wednesday,
March 5, 2003
Then somehow, at the constant urging of a friend, I became involved with a passionate group of retired, serving, and civilian members of the ceremonial cavalry squadron of the Governor General’s Horse Guards. I protested long and hard: I didn’t support the armed forces and “why would I want to hang around a bunch of old guys on horses?” said I.
Ha. It turns out that it wasn’t just a group of old guys – there were young ones, too. And women... and the children of those old guys, young guys, and women. One of those “young guys” was a certain master corporal, soon to be sergeant ... soon to be husband.
Almost 20 years and two children later, I find myself neck deep in all things military. Times and beliefs have not only changed for me, though. Many, many Canadians now realize that we have no choice but to provide for a strong military force, if we wish to maintain not only our country and way of life, and to help “keep the peace,” but to remind and reinforce to those who would threaten it, that we can stand up for ourselves.
Fighting words, but in many ways I’d give anything to get that innocence of 20 years ago back. Who would have believed 20 years ago that part of our national highway would be renamed the “Highway of Heroes” in honour of those who have given their lives on behalf of this country... in the last five or so years!
As a reservist, my husband did not have to head off to Bosnia, or, now, to Afghanistan. Although I wonder how long it will be before he cannot resist the lure of putting his years of training and experience to the test, instead of training the young recruits.
Even without heading overseas, my daughters and I have given up most weekends as a family so my husband could train and serve. Family vacations, what are those? Those are training times when hubby/dad travels to Meaford, or “Pet”, or even Gagetown. Still, he is who he is and we love and support him and the values, traditions, beliefs he and his fellow soldiers maintain and support every year, every day, every hour. But, I fear that those who cannot understand peace will take him away, along with many others.
What will this world be like as my daughters become adults? I echo the prayer from Ann Weems:
I NO LONGER PRAY FOR PEACE
On the edge of war, one foot already in,
I no longer pray for peace:
I pray for miracles.
I pray that stone hearts will turnto tender heartedness,
and evil intentions will turn
to mercifulness,
and all the soldiers already deployed
will be snatched out of harm's way,
and the whole world will be astounded onto its knees.
I pray that all the "God talk” will take bones,
and stand up and shed its cloak of faithlessness,
and walk again in its powerful truth.
I pray that the whole world might
sit down together and share
its bread and its wine.
Some say there is no hope, but then I've always applauded the holy fools
who never seem to give up on
the scandalousness of our faith:
that we are loved by God...
that we can truly love one another.
I no longer pray for peace:
I pray for miracles.
Ann Weems
Ash Wednesday,
March 5, 2003
Beautiful Weems poem! My sentiments exactly.
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