Reflections from a Canadian on Memorial Day

✯ Day 150 of Vintage 365 ✯

 

"In peace", said the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, "sons bury their fathers. In war, fathers bury their sons." These words, sobering and hauntingly true, were spoken in the 5th century B.C., and yet they could just as easily have passed through the lips or pen nib of a wise person today.

On this, Memorial Day in America, one pauses to reflect on those who have stood up for their country only to fall in battle. I adore many elements of history (be it 20th century or otherwise), but war is unequivocally not one of them.

{This vintage photo from the 1940s of a small boy wearing a grown man’s military coat and cap, is rich in dimensional meaning and symbolize, not only of WW2, but of all wars and the fragility of peace in anyone's lifetime. Image via kawkawpa on Flickr.}

There is nothing glamorous about war. It is not the the glitzy, uniforms-that-never-get-dirty world of certain Hollywood films, nor the "just point and kill" spectrum of comic book soldiers. Real war is horrific for everyone involved.

War knows no sides, plays no favourites. It's dark as a sun-less galaxy, more tormenting than any nightmare a person can have with their eyes closed.

I have no respect for war, but I do for those who have, when truly necessarily, gone to fight so that today I may know freedom. One of my great-grandfathers, as well as some of my great uncles fought for Canada in the second world war.

Those who came back, were never the same. How could they be, how on God's earth could anyone every stare war squarely in the eyes and return unshaken, unmoved, emotionally (and often physically) scared, a rearranged version of person they'd once been.

Though decades, like rings in the tree of time, have begun to distance society from WW1 and two, war still rages around the world, and we'd be naive to think that the possibility of another catastrophic world war was off the table for the rest of time.

Just as a solider rushing towards the frontline never knows what fate may deal him at the next moment, so too do none of us know for certain that peace will always be with us. Yet we can hope dearly that it will and work towards creating the type of society in which this thus far unachieved dream is finally realized.

I believe that one of the most poignant and important steps towards that goal is to never forget those who have fought, served, and fallen, giving the ultimate sacrifice of their very lives, for the world - however flawed it may still be in certain ways - that we know and treasure today.

Though I am not American, it would be impossible for me to let today slip past without pausing to remember - and thank - in the farthest reaches of my heart all those who have been lost in battle so that I could know freedom.

Join me, won't you, in a moment of silence and gratitude for everyone and their families, for whom Memorial Day is devoted.

Greetings 2010, I’ve been waiting for you!

This week begins what will one day encompass the third decade of my life, ushering in with it the end of ten years that saw much strife and worry the world over. The 2000s were many things to many people, myself included. Though I count myself extremely fortunate that I was not affectedly personally by any of the largest global catastrophes that occurred during the last decade (baring the trickle down effects of the economic crisis most of us are still very much feeling), I would certainly say that I faced innumerable personal challenges along the way.

It was a decade of growth, of pain, of moments that tore at the fabric of my soul, of hope in the face of adversity, of love and laughter, of overcoming the impossible, and immense realization. During the 2000s I morphed from a teenager into a woman, a bachelorette to a wife. I, particularly in the past three or so years, began to truly accept myself. Between the pages of the last ten years, at times, I lived heartache, breathed anguish, felt as alone as the moon, embraced bliss, survived, celebrated achievement, saw certain dreams materialize into entirely different realities, moved on, never stopped hoping.

Some of the very best and the very worst moments I’ve ever known took place in the 2000s, both bolstered me onwards in the most powerful of ways. I haven’t the slightest clue what this newborn decade, the 2010s, holds in store for the world – or myself, none of us do, but isn’t that part of what makes life, the constant sunrises and sets, highs and lows, so very worth it? The possibility that the future holds equal or better opportunities, greater levels of happiness, more beauty than the prior years.

It may sound odd to look to future on a blog devoted squarely to the past, yet in my eyes, the two are not entirely separate beings. In the days of yesteryear, those before my own life began, I find so much to love and embrace, to learn from and aspire to. These elements that speak to my heart help to guide many components of my future, and I hope, will help to make up some of the threads in the fabric of my future.



{The beginning of a fresh decade calls for a little starry eyed optimism, don’t you think? Image, from a 1948 copy of Charm magazine, via myvintagevogue’s Tumblr stream.}


Though it’s the morning of the third day of this massively new year, not the first, I want to take a moment now to say straight from my heart, welcome, 2010, and the decade you launch! No matter what you turn out to be, know that I’m routing for you all the way.

Wear purple today in support of Fibromyalgia Awareness

Generally speaking I prefer to keep the context of this blog on the subject of vintage related topics with a peppering of events from my daily life mixed in for good measure, but today I wanted to take a moment and tell everyone about the fact that May 12th is the official (annual) Fibromyalgia Awareness Day. This year’s thought provoking Awareness Day slogan is “Fibromyalgia Affects Everyone”, which I think there is certainly a lot of truth to.



As someone who has battled this chronic, painful condition for several years now, I can tell you first hand what a challenge it is to face and also how drastically misunderstood and under-acknowledged fibromyalgia is (did you know 80 to 90% of those with fibromyalgia are women?). Moreover, I also know that sort of impact that FMS (as fibromyalgia is often abbreviated to) can have one a person’s quality of life and how drastically advances in patient care, medical treatment and better still a cure are needed.



While I’ve been writing about medical topics publicly since 2004 when I founded a website dedicated to helping people with a chronic bladder condition that I have (interstitial cystitis), I won’t go into great detail about what FMS here. Instead I’ll provide an small informational quote from the National Fibromyalgia Association on what FMS is and encourage you to take a few minutes today to read more about this condition – chances are at least one person you love, know or have met is coping with this FMS.

Fibromyalgia (pronounced fy-bro-my-AL-ja) is a common and complex chronic pain disorder that affects people physically, mentally and socially. Fibromyalgia is a syndrome rather than a disease. Unlike a disease, which is a medical condition with a specific cause or causes and recognizable signs and symptoms, a syndrome is a collection of signs, symptoms, and medical problems that tend to occur together but are not related to a specific, identifiable cause.

Fibromyalgia, which has also been referred to as fibromyalgia syndrome, fibromyositis and fibrositis, is characterized by chronic widespread pain, multiple tender points, abnormal pain processing, sleep disturbances, fatigue and often psychological distress. For those with severe symptoms, fibromyalgia can be extremely debilitating and interfere with basic daily activities.

One thing that everyone can do today to help raise FMS awareness is to sport some purple, as this lovely (and very spring appropriate) hue is the official representational colour of fibromyalgia. Weather you don a purple lapel ribbon or go full on lilac in a head-to-toe purple, doing so is a wonderful way to show your solidarity for those suffering from the painful affects of FMS.


{Polyvore set featuring vintage inspired purple pieces, entitled “Where there is love, there is hope” created by yours truly.}

Heartfelt thanks to those who wear purple, read up on FMS or do anything else to help bring awareness to this condition. If anyone needs more information or has any questions about FMS, by all means you are welcome to contact me and I will do my best to help.

Until next post, tender hugs to everyone.