Winter is here, it came early and is already making me crazy. We've missed meals with friends and family because of the roads and the energy bill has been climbing for weeks.
I'm glad we haven't had a superstorm and power outages, but with such an early start it seems like winter will go on forever.
I've often wondered why anyone would plan a tropical vacation for November. This year I've watched people leave for the sun and some have already returned. I see their smiles because they've already shortened the season and made it more bearable.
Even before the weather changed the stores made the change to Christmas and as Christmas carols played some businesses faced a Facebook backlash begging to keep them away until after Remembrance Day.
Everything has a season and before the green and white and glittering I want to spend some time seeing the red petals and black center.
This year my daughter is in a new school and earlier this week I heard her singing familiar words to an unfamiliar tune. Her class will be sharing a musical rendition of In Flanders Fields at the Remembrance Day assembly.
I love what songs can do with words. The tune and the words have been stuck in my head all week and I'm grateful for the reminder. I want peace in the world and I want to hear the stories of the past, to remember so I can do my part to work to keep the peace gained at such a bloody price.
I have always been grateful to live here in the heart of Canada protected by space, by vast open sky and people who love me, but I don't forget the sacrifices made for me by strangers.
I stopped to shop in a busy store the other day, hoping to pick up a few groceries. The store was filled with people, the line-ups were long and from every direction people were commenting about how much it felt like holiday shopping. It looked like holiday shopping inside the store and in the icy parking lot.
I don't want to start hearing Christmas songs, yet. I want to take a few moments to spend in silence, to mark another important holiday, not just a day off, and take some time to reflect on what I can do today in this country to build bridges and to do my part to make peace even if it is just in my own home and neighbourhood.
