On this day I remember my father, and all those who fought in the war. My father came back, unlike many thousands of others who fell on the frontline. The war did take it's toll on him however, he struggled to fit back into civilian life. He tried, but the booze, and his drinking pals usually won. He died age 46, his heart gave out.
My father and his mother.
Remember those, and be grateful for the life we have now. Do not waste a day. Do not feel sorry for yourself, do not argue, do not bicker, do not sulk. Every day that we have on this earth is a fresh start, we cannot change what has already gone before. Make your life the best you can, it is the only one you are going to get.
Lots of love. ilona xxx
Thank you for posting. Very many men struggled and continue to do so with horrors seen/dealt with. Bless him, and Bless you for remembering him.
ReplyDelete---We have an elderly friend we honour each year (a veteran). Many yrs back, about fifteen or so, I asked him which Remembrance Ceremonies he was attending the next day. He stated he was not (in previous yrs it had always been a huge event for he and his wife). I asked why, and he said all the men he had known in it had now died (he is elderly). At that we invited him and his wife out for supper for Remembrance Day, and have ever since. He has always much appreciated the gesture. He is now 96 or 98 (not sure which).
Hear hear to those sentiments! X
ReplyDeleteYou are wonderful person, as a woman and in your soul,greetings
ReplyDeleteSo true Ilona.
ReplyDeleteI was 2 when my dad was went to war and I was very lucky that he came back and got a DSM but he would never talk about his life in the Navy.
Hazel c uk
Brilliant post, you do look like your gran!
ReplyDeleteTHank you, Ilona. I totally agree.
ReplyDeletexx
Very wise words Ilona and you are so right.Make the most of every day cause you dont get that day back again.I wear my poppy with pride for all those brave people that fought for this country.xx
ReplyDeleteWell said Ilona, every day must be treasured. My Dad also came back from WW2 after five years away however my Uncle and my Mum's cousin didn't.
ReplyDeleteRemember and be grateful...but be angry at the politics and commerce that caused,and still causes countless wars
ReplyDeleteAgree totally. We 'forget' every time we start another senseless war.
DeleteWonderfully said. xxxx
ReplyDeleteI can only imagine what your father and many like him went through. God bless him for his service. He died far too young.
ReplyDeleteA day to remember all those who fell and fought in wars and to honour them. I think it is one of the most important days in the calendar.
ReplyDeleteLovely post Ilona-thank you.
ReplyDeleteI thought the other day I've not been following any blogs for an awfully long time and thought of yours. What a beautiful post this is. My family seemed to come through WW1 , my Dad flew in Lancasters in WW2 and returned and it is only over the last few years I realised what he had to contend with since getting seriously involved in aviation. The last comment is so true - one to try to aim for.
ReplyDeleteRemembrance Sunday always makes me sad. Of my Great Uncles who were in WW1, one had both legs blown off, one was poisoned by mustard gas and two were prisoners of war, they were all from the same family and all came back, thankfully. In WW2 an uncle of mine was captured at Dunkirk, put in a concentration camp and was forced on the Death March (I think it was called) going through Poland in freezing conditions without adequate clothing. He also came back, again thankfully.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for your post Ilona. Your words are very true. I lost my grandad on the Somme in the first world war. My father in law was captured in Anzio in the second. He was in a prisoner of war camp for ages. He came home safely but like your father it affected his life after. At the going down of the Sun and in the morning we will remember them.
ReplyDeleteYou would think that with all these stories of pain and loss - not just during battle, but afterwards as well - humanity would learn its lesson....
ReplyDeleteThats Beautiful Ilona and makes me teary.You really have said what matters in life.Thankyou xx
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ReplyDeleteWise words Ilona. Lovely photo of your father and gran. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you Ilona for your comments. My grandfather was a soldier in WW1 and was at Somme, buried alive for hours til they found him. My dad was a soldier in WW11 and had a breakdown (emotional) and had amnesia for a long time. He was never the same when he finally came home. We lived rather close to an airport and when he would hear the plane go over our house, he would duck under the bed for fear it was going to drop a bomb. War takes the soul out of men and women. Arlene From NJ
ReplyDeleteGood advice! My grandfather fought in WWI and came home injured. My grandmother was his nurse and they eventually married. My dad and uncle were British soldiers in WWII. My dad was captured at Dunkirk and held in German prison camps for 4 years. He escaped twice and during that time made his way to Belgium. My grandmother had a grocery store and helped British and American soldiers to escape the Germans. That is where my mom and dad met and married after the war. My dad broke his ankle working cutting trees in the Black Forest. It had to heal on its own. His jaw was broken when a prison guard hit him with the butt of his gun. He had to tie a rag around his head and jaw and sip his fish head soup. Those were tough times and dad and uncle were blessed to come home alive. As you said, the effects of that war followed him his entire life. I have 2 sisters born in England and Belgium. My parents immigrated to the US in 1950 and I was born. I'm so thankful for the men and women and that fought for our freedom. Patty McDonald
ReplyDeleteThank you for this thoughtful post. Today, I remembered my father and two uncles who all served in the Second World War and survived, but with their health ruined. The war took a terrible toll and we must never forget. Thank you again.
ReplyDeleteWe rang the bells at church at 11:00 ... a day that connects us across the ocean.
ReplyDeleteSo very true. We might not be able to change the world, but we can make a difference to those in our homes, our neighborhoods, and in the shops we frequent. Kindness, courtesy, and a smile go a long way.
ReplyDeleteWell said! I'm sorry you lost your father so young, Ilona.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comments on this important day. xxx
ReplyDeleteWell said, thank you for your thoughts on this day.
ReplyDeleteYour dad looks very handsome, Ilona. I'm so sorry he was so badly affected by his experiences.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure that what he saw in the war affected him badly. He didn't know how to love us, I saw no love between him and my mother. He was distant when at home, didn't play with us, or hug us.
DeleteA lovely post Ilona and I’m so sorry about your Dad. People got absolutely no help to cope with their traumatic experiences and most of us now can only imagine what it must have been like. I think many young people today simply wouldn’t cope.
ReplyDeleteVery thoughtful post - read it a bit late. Very true comments aswell x
ReplyDeleteSo sorry for the way things turned out with your dad. My dad was in WWII, and made it back alive. My brother was in Vietnam and is clinically diagnosed at 50% insane. That war and the killings took a toll on that 18 year old young man. My ex-husband did not go to war, but spent his paycheck partying it up with his buddies, while his wife (me)raised 3 children is dire straights of poverty. I am deeply scared for all that man put me through. Happily divorced now, I wake up each day with a smile on my face and an attitude of gratitude. Keep up the good work. I love your blog and perspective on life..it is spot on with mine.
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