ANOTHER WAY TO CONVEY WARM GREETINGS

During what is now called a Flu Pandemic, it has been suggested that unless really necessary it is best for those with a compromised immune system to stay away from malls and other crowded areas. A few years ago I was inadvertently drawn into a crowded area while walking home carrying a large bag of groceries in my right hand. It was REMEMBRANCE DAY. The poppy pinned to my coat was tilting and ready to fall.

A passing War veteran snatched the falling poppy in flight and placed it back on my coat securing it with a firm clip. Apparently he carries extra clips in his pocket. To keep another person from stumbling on my bag I placed my left hand on my brow, bowed slightly and saluted the veteran with a smile. I have placed this poppy (with its more secure fastener) in one of the ceramic shoes on my dresser and each time I see it blossoming forth from one of these 5 inch shoes I am reminded of the many pairs of boots these men wore as they served our country. My brother was one of them who returned to Canada in 1945 after five years of army service in Europe. More than eleven thousand others did not return and remain in Flanders Field where poppies wave and bloom anew each year and remind us of their sacrifice. The person who gifted us with the pair of ceramic shoes in 1949 was operating Dorking Bed and Breakfast in Banff, Alberta where we spent our wedding night. Thanks to those soldiers and flyers Canada has been able to preserve our freedom for the rest of that century. Dorking is a large domestic bird common in England. Perhaps there is a subtle message from this bird that exemplifies the joys of domestic life in our own domain without having to conquer other countries or the need to fight wars to help others obtain their freedom.

I continue to use that type of salute with a smile to those I pass on my way. It does not offend anyone and keeps the germs at bay.