Nov: Thoughts from Huw

Dear Friends,

A few years ago when I stationed in the Sunderland South Methodist Circuit, I came across this story to help us think of the true meaning of Remembrance day.

Lest we Forget

This is a story about a little girl, who, whilst her parents were not looking, stole a poppy from a Remembrance Memorial. She and her sister climbed the Memorial steps and noticed a wreath, faded but still garlanded with poppies, before her elder sister could stop her, the little girl had reached out a hand and taken a flower. Of course she was only four years old and knew no better. When she brought it proudly to her parents, her father was best not pleased. He told the family that she should not have touched the wreath.

That's when a small grey haired woman who had overheard everything as she was standing by, spoke in a soft Scottish accent.

She said 'Don't scold her' and 'She wasn't to know'. She paused and went on to say 'My husband's name is on that stone, if he had come back we might have had a bairn just like yours. 'She smiled and added 'let her keep that poppy for him - he'd have liked to have thought that his flower could make a little girl happy.'

A stolen poppy, a widow's longing, a child's joy and a soldier's death. Somewhere in all of these lies the true meaning of Remembrance day.

With good wishes

Huw