In Flanders Fields – 2020

A year ago, our son Joe was reciting “In Flanders fields” at the Melbourne Shrine of Remembrance in front of thousands of students from Victorian schools, distinguished RSL guests and Her Excellency the Governor of Victoria, The Honourable Linda Dessau AC.

Written by John Mcrae in 1915 to honour a fallen soldier at his burial service, the poem is now synonymous with the fallen of great wars. Written just 3 years before the great tragedy of the Spanish Flu which killed millions, 100 years later we are gripped in the midst of another pandemic, not killing millions, but certainly affecting lives worldwide.

I am thankful for the fact that all the adventures had to date with our family we able to take part physically – be it rowing, formals, exams, South St Orchestra and so many other gatherings and events that we took for granted and I now cherish the memory of.

My family are in Melbourne while I am here in Darwin and although it would be great to be living in the same house in the same city, I still am thankful for the circumstances we are in. I can talk and video them, so compared to 100 years ago – we are mostly in a fantastic place.

People are dying, people have lost jobs. This is a terrible event and I hope that as we come through the other side, there will be a worldwide new renaissance which will consider the cleared streets, the oddly blue skies and other events that have occurred due to the world pausing for a few months. A renaissance is a break from the past, or rather the immediate present – I think we have recorded enough history to know that we will get through this, but it is up to us to pick the new good things we are doing and make that part of our new normal.

I don’t post on FaceBook anymore so here is the place for better or worse I will include my musings.

With ANZAC Day almost upon us and this year being commemorated differently, I hope that “Lest we Forget” in future years will include a reflection on this war, this battle against an invisible enemy.

Our Family wishes extend to you and yours our thoughts and good wishes…