A Little Respect Please

I realize this is almost a week overdue, but here goes:

My husband and I are the parents of two pre-teens and we are trying very hard to instill a sense of patriotism in our children. We make a point of celebrating Canada Day complete with flags, maple leaf pins and temporary tattoos. Naturally we have a lot of fun with it. We teach our children to treat the flag and the anthem with respect our son removes his cap during ‘O Canada’ at Rockets’ games. We also make sure we observe the much more somber holiday of Remembrance Day. This includes attending an outdoor service to honour those who fought and died for the freedom we so casually enjoy. Which brings me to the point of this letter:

We were huddled together in the chilly wind at the City Park Cenotaph craning our necks to see through the large crowd. (Unfortunately, we got there right on time and could only hear most of the ceremony.) My husband and I were very pleased at the number of people who made this a priority on a “day off school”. What did not impress us, however, was the few people (certainly a small minority but an irritation nonetheless) who felt this was a good time to catch up with those they hadn’t seen in a while. One young father in particular was about 7-8 meters away from us but we might as well have been in on the conversation.

He was laughing and joking and talking about the latest escapades of his young child. “Sir, it’s hardly the time for that!” If you come across an old friend or acquaintance at this type of event, smile, nod, give a handshake, but for heaven’s sake! Save your visiting for AFTER THE CEREMONY!! Make quick plans to go for lunch or coffee together but please keep quiet and respect those around you who have come to observe the day. Also, if your young child has trouble standing still and paying attention for the length of the service (I am a mother and certainly recall the attention span of toddlers!), you may want to consider observing the day in the comfort of your home watching the broadcast from Ottawa on TV. You could encourage them to join you for the anthem and a short portion of the program but then allow them to play without disturbing anyone. Remembrance Day is all about respect…for those who have gone on but also for those who are attempting to honour their sacrifice.

C.R. Westbank