At the Remembrance Day services held in Windsor, a young Girl Guide, who had also been selected as one of the students to place a wreath on behalf of her school, became distraught after being unable to make her way to the other chosen students in time to place the wreath. She returned to her Girl Guide troupe sobbing and buried her face in the arms of one of the Guide leaders who tried to console her disappointment. In front of the Girl Guide troupe, various military personnel were lined up ready to place wreaths on behalf of local businesses.
When the time came to lay the corporate sponsored wreaths, an army soldier, having been close by to witness the Girl Guide’s disappointment, quietly picked up his designated wreath, turned to the Girl Guide and asked her if she would do him the great favour of placing his wreath for him. She quickly stopped her tears, dutifully took the wreath from the soldier’s hands and made her way to the cenotaph amid all the military personnel towering over her and proudly placed the wreath.
The beauty and symbolism of this gesture, in sharing the responsibility of paying respect for the fallen by a serving military member with a young girl who also serves her community, is an image I will not soon forget. I wasn’t able to catch up with the soldier after the ceremony to get his name or thank him for his kindness, so I hope he may read about it here and know that his gesture did not go unnoticed and is deeply appreciated.
Liz Galbraith, Windsor, NS
