Veteran Appreciation 2014

As I get older I truly see things differently. I remember hearing my grandparents telling my parent to wait, they would soon understand. I hear myself repeating the same sentence to my newly married daughter. I remember hearing that my grandfather drove an ambulance during the war. We never discussed his experiences – in hindsight that was probably a good thing. But I never thanked him for his service. We have talked to our daughter about war, about injustice, about culture and religion. After we are gone I hope that she understands how important it is for her to honor the men and women that were never known to her, yet defended her freedom long before she was born, and that she impresses that gratitude upon any grandchildren we may be blessed with.

When I took a few moments to reflect on the military service people that I personally know, with the exception of my maternal grandfather, they are all still alive. I realized then that the job that they did to preserve the lifestyle I have come to know is very similar to what safety practitioners do every day. We put practice and policy into place in the hopes that it will protect the next person performing the task from injury. Thus allowing them the freedom to go home to their families. Freedom to work without fear of injury or illness, and to be able to speak up and identify situations that restrict that freedom.

Now, I don’t profess that safety practitioners be heralded as military heroes, that’s a stretch. I am grateful that I have the opportunity to carry on the protections that they began.

Please take a moment and remember that sacrifices were made by some brave Canadians to ensure that you have the rights and freedoms that you have. Wear a poppy, say a prayer, post a thank you, pay it forward even support return to civilian life initiatives. Whether your support is public or private Tuesday November 11, 2014 is a great day for you to express your gratitude.