Sacrifice

November is the month where North Americans stop and consider the sacrifice made by the few for the many. In Canada, November 11 is called Remembrance Day, while our friends to the south refer to it as Veterans Day. The intent of the day is the same: to recall those who died while serving their country. They deserve homage through our respect and reverence for the day. Calgary, like most cities and towns, provides us a perfect location to do this. Walking among the field of crosses, reading the names, and considering the ages of those who died in service of their country is a humbling experience indeed.
In our instant gratification world, their is not much room left for sacrifice. Standing in line without expressing frustration, waiting our turn without becoming angry, or allowing someone to go before us just because are seen less and less these days. Little did we know that Toby Kieth's hit song in 2001 would be as prophetic as it has become:

I wanna talk about me
Wanna talk about I
Wanna talk about number one
Oh my me my
What I think, what I like, what I know, what I want, what I see

I see more and more of this "me" attitude every day. It saddens me to thing that in just a few generations we have gone from people who would willingly give up everything, including health and future, to people who haven't got 5 minutes for someone who needs us or our help.

When children ask us about Remembrance Day or Veterans Day, we need to be prepared to talk with them about sacrifice. We need to pay homage to our fallen, by telling the stories of those who died. We need to teach our children that respect is earned. Most of all, we need to consider how we might sacrifice in our daily lives, in the service of others. Major effort is not required. A simple smile, a brief hello, or actually waiting for an answer when we ask "how are you" is all that is required. And this is the magic part we need to teach our children...the benefit of service to others is as great or greater for those who serve than those being served. And as we teach our children this lesson, we might just learn something ourselves!