SeanFromCanada's Blog

Originally posted on 11.13.13

I was born on Remembrance Day: The day we pause to remember the men and women who served our country.

We wear red poppies on our chests and school children get the day off school. We observe a minute of silent reflection at 11:00 am and many people attend Remembrance Day ceremonies across the country. It’s an optional day off work for most, but not all”.

I knew these facts about Remembrance Day (and my birthday) from the time I was 3 years old. It’s a funny thing having your birthday on a national day of mourning and remembrance. A kid’s birthday is a happy event, of course, but there was always a solemnness to the day. A need for respect and honor. And I’ve felt that responsibility, that energy, since I was born.

In looking back, I realize I’ve always been interested in being respectful…to people, to events, to beliefs. I would never want to be the buffoon who’s disrespectful or inappropriate. Even when I’m ‘trying to be funny’, and I fail (and things come out horribly disrespectful)…I deeply regret it. I’m always sorry.

I think my desire to be respectful grows from the day of my birth…Remembrance Day.