In 1987, I found myself in a centuries-old stone-and-timber farmhouse in Bayeux in northwestern France. It was a rainy day, and I needed some overnight shelter as I awaited my crossing of the Channel to England the next day. Having backpacked several kilometres to the farm, I was drenched to the core.
A French-only speaking elderly couple welcomed me in. They hospitably hung my wet clothes to dry near a fire in a hearth so gigantic you could stand upright inside it.
Huddled around a scarred wooden table in the warmth of their rustic kitchen, they learned I was from Canada and mentioned the next day would be the anniversary of D-Day. They animatedly began telling me about their respect for the Canadian soldiers who were part of the liberation forces in 1944.
They enthusiastically described with words and pantomime the story of recovering the body of a downed Canadian airman.
The Bayeux villagers’ respect for the Canadians was so great, they determined to bury this soldier within their own cemetery. As word got out, the occupying German forces warned of severe repercussions if the villagers took this action. In defiance, the villagers filed into the cemetery early the following morning, carrying the body and placing it to rest among their own, as German soldiers stood on the surrounding walls with guns pointed at them.
As the villagers, one by one, paid their respects and courageously filed out again through a gauntlet of armed Nazi soldiers, not a single shot was fired.
As I read the article “In the Middle of Nowhere,” I was reminded of the Canadian airman who was treated with such respect and dignity by the villagers of Bayeux.
To our surviving veterans, to those who currently serve in peacekeeping or active missions, and to those whose lives were lost so we can live the bountiful and free lives we enjoy today – we owe you a debt that cannot be repaid. But we can remember.
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This issue we shine the spotlight on another group of heroes – the charities that make the world a better place for all.
We often fail to recognize that without these supports, our lives would be much more difficult to manage. These organizations provide information, advice and advocacy. They serve many types of clients, from people to animals and the environment. Often, they perform their services on a shoestring budget, fueled only by the efforts of volunteers.
I can count numerous times in my life when a non-profit organization has offered some service that proved to be immensely helpful.
Charities have such impact. They are there in those moments when crisis strikes, when you don’t know where else to turn for help. They give so much and ask for so little.
Please consider supporting the organizations featured in this issue of INSPIRED Magazine with a donation and leaving a bequest in your Will as a legacy for the future.
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This is a good month to remember all the many people who serve — some to preserve our freedoms, others to improve our day-to-day lives.
Both deserve our respect and gratitude.
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