Letter from the Editor It’s always struck me as strange how this time of year can take us on such an emotional rollercoaster. We start with the jubilance of Halloween, costumed kids racing door to door, and more than a few kids at heart’ sneaking into the candy bowl. Then, just days later, we move into the quiet reflection of Remembrance Day. And before you can finish wiping a tear from your eye during ‘The Last Post’, the Christmas lights are twinkling and Mariah Carey has defrosted. It’s funny how we can go from laughter to solemnity to full-blown holiday cheer in just two weeks. But for me, this is one of the best times of the year. It might sound odd to say I love Remembrance Day, but I do. To me, it’s one of the most important days on the calendar, one that I wish stayed in people’s hearts across all 365. Remembrance Day reminds us to pause and honour those who fought for us, died for us, and even more, those who lived on for us. It gives us a chance to reflect on our community — the men and women who served, and those who stayed home and did their part. It’s easy to forget that war wasn’t only fought on the front lines. It was fought around kitchen tables here at home, where families waited anxiously for news. It was fought in factories, on farms, and in schools, where people sacrificed comfort so that soldiers could have what they needed. And beyond our borders, there were millions whose homes and livelihoods became battlefields. Their land, their crops, their families, everything they knew, were swept up in the chaos. Thinking about that really puts things in perspective. We’re fortunate here, but it’s sobering to realize that even a century later, wars still rage around the world. It makes you wonder, have we learned anything? Most soldiers, I imagine, would rather be home with their loved ones than fighting in someone else’s quarrel. War is complex, messy, and full of lessons humanity never seems to fully absorb. That’s why remembering matters.
So, this November 11th, I encourage you to attend a local ceremony, pause for a moment of silence, and think, not only of those who didn’t make it home, but also those who did, and the ones they left waiting. In remembering them, we also remember the cost of forgetting.
Page 2 Boomers and Beyond – Elgin • November 2025
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