"May we never forget that freedom isn't free." Remembrance Day.

Any time you put two people in a room and bring up politics or religion you will get a heated debate. Now multiple this by ten, then by a hundred, then by thousands, and ultimately hundreds of thousands people. You will get not only heated debates, but chances are, over long periods of time you will also get war.

We have had many over the course of humanity, some were global, others were regional. Regardless of the scope and reach of these wars lives of brave men, and then later in time as they were allowed to stand up and fight for their countries, women, lost.

I’ve spent the better part of my morning trying to find a conclusive number of lives that have been lost while they fought to protect our borders, our land, our rights and our freedoms. I’ve found none, so rather than abandon my post of gratitude to those who are willing to forever alter their lives due to a lack of stats I’ll instead take this tact. We must remember that even those who don’t lose their lives in battle will forever be altered by their service to us. Their mental well being, the PTSD that soldiers suffer from is unparalleled in any other occupation. Their family/personal lives suffer, which from living in San Diego and knowing so many young men serving in the Navy, I can attest to seeing this first hand. I want to say I will never forget what you’ve lost/given up so that I could gain. Those who go to battle do so for me, a woman they’ll never meet, with daughters they’ll never know and a husband they won’t ever have a beer with. You will never spend any time with us and yet you’ve already been out to battle to keep us safe, and if you haven’t yet, God forbid we need you in the future, you’re prepared to go and protect us while we sleep in our comfy beds, and you sleep on a twin size cot in barracks with dozens of other men.

Today I thank all of you from the bottom of my heart who lost their lives in the World wars, and continue to be lost in the “smaller wars” we no longer hear about, but that continue to this day. I make this promise to go forward not just thinking about your service and sacrifice once a year, November 11th, but I will do better to think of you and be thankful for you on other days throughout the year.

But for now, today is your day, today we remember you, today we honour you…May we never forget…

“Our flag does not fly because the wind moves it. It flies with the last breath of each soldier who died protecting it.”