Annie’s Mailbox: Remembering the fallen
Dear Readers: Today is Memorial Day. In honor of all those who have served in the armed forces, we are printing this poem from World War I, written in 1915 by Lt. Col. John McCrae, M.D. McCrae, a Canadian, served as a surgeon in the Great War. After witnessing the death of a friend at Ypres, Belgium, he wrote this poem, later published in England. In 1918 at the age of 46, McCrae died in France from pneumonia.
In Flanders Fields
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead.
Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
Inspired by McCrae’s poem, an American woman, Moina Michael, wore poppies to honor the war dead. She also began selling poppies to raise money for disabled veterans. This idea spread from the United States to France and England, and then to Canada, where it is still a tradition on Memorial Day.
Dear Annie: My husband and I have a baby who is just beginning to speak, and he mimics the words we say. The problem is my husband has used foul language all his life. He doesn’t even realize he’s used a four-letter word, even when I point it out to him. He’s unintentionally cussed in front of both his boss and our pastor.
I’ve spoken to him about his language, but he argues with me and says he’s not saying anything different from what the baby hears on TV, so he shouldn’t be entirely blamed. I don’t want the baby going to preschool talking like my husband. What can I do? – Burning Ears
Dear Burning Ears: If your baby is hearing four-letter words on TV, you ought to change the channel. Unfortunately, you can’t do the same with your husband. This is an ingrained habit that is difficult to break and requires your husband’s total effort. Approach him in a spirit of cooperation and offer to help him work on it. But even so, your child can be taught that certain words are unacceptable. His teachers will make sure he doesn’t swear in school, and you can curtail any budding bad habits at home. Just make sure your husband doesn’t undermine your efforts.