Lest We Forget .....

Today on the day that is set aside to pay homage to the men and women who gave freely of their time and often, way too often, their lives in war, I saw this posted on FaceBook by a friend of mine. 

"I woke up remembering that so many mothers are waking up today in war and conflict, not knowing if their children will be safe today, not knowing if they will live to have a future. So many mothers have sons and daughters who are soldiers who do not know if they will ever see them alive again. Often these wars are fought for greed and righteousness. To protect multinationals, oil interests, to prove my god is better than your god, that my way is better that your way, that my culture is superior to yours, that I deserve more than you. My heart and prayers go out to these families who live in violence or who must send their children into it. I dream of a time when my government and all humanity will fight for peace. When our greatest minds are focused on developing green energy, healing our planet, feeding people the world over and making space to grow peace and understanding, not on creating weapons of mass destruction, making war, destroying our mother earth and spinning hate and fear. Let us remember that there is a different way."

Nicely said. 

If only Humanity would believe and make it so. 

The Painting:

In 1917, the Canadian War Memorials Fund commissioned the British painter, Clare Atwood, to execute a large picture depicting the life of the Canadian Expeditionary Force in England. Appropriateness of subject matter for women artists was still a consideration during the 1914-1918 conflict, and they were not commissioned to depict the battlefield. Portraits and scenes of home front activity were assigned to female artists. Nevertheless, Atwood, who had gained recognition for her interior scenes, was chosen for the commission.
The Fund arranged for her to visit the military camp at Folkestone in Kent, England, to gather ideas for the work. However, the artist chose to illustrate a YMCA canteen at one of London’s railway stations, where enlisted men await a train that will take them to camps or to the front.