Remembrance Day

When I began to think about the eleventh hour of the eleventh month, more and more thoughts came flooding in, too many to include in this post. But I still want to mention a few.

First of all, my late brother, whose birthday was on this day. He died at the age of 45 from a kidney disease acquired when he was conscripted into the South African army and got dehydrated on a military exercise.

My father was 'up north' when I was born. That was the term used for South African soldiers who went to fight in the Second World War. He received a knee injury that worried him off and on for his whole, long life, but otherwise survived intact. How very grateful I am for that fact. He had incredible stories to tell and said his 'men' used to say he had a guardian angel.

My husband's father joined the cavalry and went into the First World War at the age of seventeen. Fortunately for him, this was soon to end and so he survived.

My husband had two wonderful great aunts who lived together. Both of them lost their loves, but soldiered bravely on.

So we remember, and take stock also of where we all stand today. As far as our and our earth's survival is concerned, are we now at the eleventh hour?