Beyond A “Thank You” for Your Service
By Omokolade Ogunleye
A common way to appreciate the service of people in the armed forces, both retired and in active service, is to tell them: “Thank you for your service.” We do the same to appreciate military families, too, for obvious reasons. It is good to say thank you and mean it, but it could also be mere lip service sometimes, especially when it becomes frequent practice for us. In other words, we find it just appropriate to say the phrase whenever we encounter a servicemember or their relatives—often casually. Meanwhile, we did not genuinely think through their sacrifices in the process. For some reason, this habit is natural for us as humans. We are busy and have way too many things to ponder.
As we observe this year's Remembrance Day, it is one of many opportunities to remember the generation of Canadians that has served this great country that we treasure dearly. Is it not a suitable time to recollect the tireless sacrifices of those who gave us a chance in the first place? There is a saying by my people which goes: "A reflective person will surely know how to give thanks." Will you take it upon yourself on this special occasion to genuinely remember those heroes—sincerely, as we do not get to do it often? Would you think about the agony and loss of those comrades? Would you imagine the extreme weather conditions they had to persevere helplessly in? Would you wonder about the intense drills, the fears, the anguish, and the spiritual hardship they endured? Do you remember the First and Second World Wars and the Korean War, among other peacekeeping missions that avail us the freedom we enjoy today?
What can we do to pay back those selfless ones, the best out of us, who sacrificed their lives and everything for us so that we might have a life, live freely, and enjoy prosperity? No single word, sentence, statement, or combination of any of those will be enough to appreciate the Canadian men and women who have served and continue to during the war, conflict, and peace. The best we can do is to remember the efforts of these extraordinary Canadians not just every November 11 but year-round for their act of selflessness. On every Remembrance Day, endeavour to follow the tradition by observing the two minutes silence tribute and attend a commemorative ceremony, if you could, in memory of the fallen heroes. On top of that, wear poppies, too.
Again, there is nothing we can do to pay back the freedom we enjoy today, not even those mentioned above. Nothing will be enough. That is why when we do those things we do, we need to be intentional about them. We need to go beyond just saying thank you to genuinely meaning it and putting our words into action. There are many ways we can actively show that we care for the beautiful Canadian souls who have served and those still in service. The list is long, but at the very least, we can patronize businesses of our veterans and devote time to the causes of the armed forces and their families, to name a few. Because frankly, the two minutes for thought and reflection are just ceremonial, and they will never be enough to remember the ones that went beyond for all of us.
What will you do beyond mere thank you from this Remembrance Day henceforth?
