November’s Reflection from the Moderator
In the past, people wore the same simple poppy for Remembrance, made at Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory in Edinburgh. Today, there is a wide variety of poppies—brooches, pins, knitted, and sewn creations. Communities now come together to create poppy installations, inspired perhaps by the sea of poppies that surrounded the Tower of London in 2014.
Significance of Remembrance
This expression of individualism and collective memory highlights how we all remember in personal ways, yet also acknowledge the shared impact on communities affected by the loss of many lives.
Address at the National War Memorial
Earlier this year, I had the honor of speaking at the annual service at the National War Memorial in Edinburgh Castle. Here is an excerpt from my address:
This Scottish National War Memorial, erected after the First World War, reminds us that it was everybody’s war. The books of names beneath the regimental memorials represent not just sacrificed lives but also parents who lost a child, siblings bereaved of brothers or sisters, husbands, wives, and sweethearts deprived of partners and futures together, children who lost parents, and friends who were never reunited.
It’s bigger – it’s communities and workplaces missing a generation. The names recorded are just the tip of the iceberg.
Author’s Summary
The evolving ways we honor Remembrance reveal both personal and communal grief, underscoring the profound and lasting impact of loss on families and society.