Lest We Forget

Good Morning Friends.  Or rather – Good Afternoon.  Maybe even Good Evening by the time this gets posted?

I started this post early in the morning while I was en route to Salt Lake City – but most of it was written in Chicago O’Hare airport while I waited for my connecting flight.  I think O’Hare is the only major airport in the world without wifi!  Aargh!!  So I couldn’t post this until I arrived in Salt Lake (and had internet access again).   And then with the time zone change, it may even be early evening back home before this post is up and running.  Hence the schizophrenia with the salutation.   :)

At any rate, I wanted to post on Remembrance Day and show you something very special that I was privileged to be a part of.  My children are members of a truly outstanding choir (the Catholic School Board Choir) that gets invited to perform at many events.  And every year they are asked to sing at the National Military Cemetery in Ottawa for the Nov 11 Remembance Day Memorial Celebration.   This year it just so happens that the choir had a one day retreat the day before (Nov 10) and it was decided that they would create a wreath to be lain on behalf of the choir at the conclusion of the Remembrance Day service.  I was asked if I could help with this endeavor.  My answer.  Um…yes!

We used Real Red cardstock and the Fun Flowers BigZ die to create the poppies (with a Basic Black Boho Blossom punch in the centre).  Of course, the flowers were water-spritzed and scrunched first to give them some character.  Simple florist wire was used to string the layers together and then attach the poppies to the wreath.

Empty Wreath

Adding Poppies

My daughter, Natalie, helping to assemble the wreath

There were 78 kids at the day-long camp and about a dozen adult volunteers, and the addition of each individual’s poppy transformed a simple empty grapevine wreath into a beautiful tribute to our fallen men and women.  Then a purple ribbon with white fabric paint completed the memorial wreath.  Isn’t it beautiful?  And how truly wonderful that it was created by the children themselves!

Almost finished

Ready for Presentation

This is the first time in 6 years that I have not been in attendance for the event and my heart is just a little bit melancholy at missing it.  I am always so proud of the choir.  Eighty some-odd children from 9-15 years old, singing with the voices of angels and paying tribute to so many brave men and women.  I am certain that they once again did an amazing job of representing our school board, and indeed, children everywhere, with their demeanor and decorum.  Not to mention the glorious harmonies that they are so skilled at creating.  It is a poignant and moving ceremony every year and I am sad to have missed it.  But I am very proud of the children in the OCSB choir, for this small token of gratitude that they gift to our Military, both past and present.  Those who died.  And those who survived.

We thank these men and women.  For their courage.  And their sacrifice.  Their selflessness.  And their dedication.    Our deepest and heartfelt gratitude.   

Lest we forget.
 
God Bless you all.       ~Cynthia    <><