Kiddipedia
Do you think there will ever be a time when children are going to grow up and not understand what ANZAC day really means?
How do we even try to explain to the children of the next generation what Anzac day represents?
As adults we have an emotional connection to the Anzacs with the fortune of growing up experiencing veterans of WW1 honoured in Anzac Day parades, viewing their interviews on TV or in the papers.
For many of us we have had grandparents who fought in WW2, Korean and Vietnam wars and throughout our lives we may have had the honour of emotionally connecting to our grandparents through their war photographs, war medals or nostalgic wartime belongings like their uniforms.
Our lives may have been touched through experiences of witnessing their mental and physical scars, hearing stories of their bravery and camaraderie even sharing a comfortable respectful silence with a solider who simply cannot talk about their horrific experiences with war and terror they endured.
It’s not our children’s fault they may not understand the magnititude of what Anzac Day represents, but I do believe its our duty and responsibility to pass down first hand experiences of our grandparents stories to keep a ‘connection’ to our younger generations, so at no point their efforts will ever be in vain.
Most of us take it for granted that we have the privilege of living our lives in this incredible free country, we have been given the chance to start a family that will be safe, that will be educated, that will be fed and housed.
Because of what they went through Australians have the freedom to raise a family as they choose.
I hope we all take the time this Anzac day to:
-simply be grateful
-honour and appreciate their bravery and fearlessness and acknowledge the terror they endured to give us the life we know today
-keep the acknowledgment alive through conversations with our children
Be sure to raise a glass this year — without them heaven knows where we may be have been!
