A Day of Remembrance

by Posted on

Jessie: In New England where the leaves have tumbled along with the temperatures

Today I find myself thinking about the past, about sacrifice, the common good, and the things within and without one’s control. My latest two series are set in England, both after the end of WWI, and since today is Armistice/ Veterans Day, my mind turns to the impact of unrest on both sides of the pond.

My characters are all impacted by forces far larger than themselves and part of their stories revolve around how they navigate day-to-day life when their own spheres of influence are not so very large. My first book in the Beryl and Edwina series has much to do with the aftermath of combat and the trauma it created for so many. There are returned soldiers with thousand-yard stares, the loved ones of soldiers who did not return, and those on the home front who do the best they can to pick up the pieces and to muddle through the best that they can.

But mostly, the books are about hope and what comes next. They are about people making meaningful connections with neighbors, friends, and even those whom they find utterly galling. My novels display the wielding of soft power, of really listening to those who are hurting, and striving to make life better for most of those who appear on the page. They are stories about people who might have ordinary-ish lives, but they love them with zest and compassion no matter what has raged around them. They do what they can in their own small bit of the world to make life worth the living. After all, on Armistice/ Veterans Day, they are aware of how many others gave up their lives so that others could continue on.

So, on this day of remembrance, I plan to think of ways I can impact my community, in my village, or for those who read my novels, for the better. I think the best way I can acknowledge the gift given to all of us who have come after is to do my joyful and determined best with my own spheres of influence, today and each day to come.

Readers, do you anyone in your life that you are remembering today? Tell us about them!

Unknown's avatar

Published by Jessie Crockett

Jessie Crockett wears a lot of hats, both literally and literarily. As Jessie Crockett she is the Daphne Award winning author of Live Free or Die and the nationally bestselling Sugar Grove series. As Jessica Ellicott she has received starred reivews from Publishers Weekly and Library Journal for her historical mystery Murder in an English Village. As Jessica Estevao she writes the Agatha Award nominated Change of Fortune Mysteries. She loves the beach, fountain pens, Mini Coopers and throwing parties. She lives in northern New England where she obsessively knits wool socks and enthusiastically speaks Portuguese with a shocking disregard for the rules of grammar.

28 Thoughts

  1. Not a direct answer to your question, Jessie. An observation, beginning November 1, all the BBC news presenters have worn poppies in remembrance. This symbol seems to have disappeared here in the US. “Lest we forget” ?

    Like

  2. That’s lovely, Jessie. And all any of us can really do, after all.

    I’m remembering two couples – Annie Tunstall and Richard Gale and Sam and Joan Baily – four dear departed friends (and Friends) who gave so much of themselves to their community, to our Quaker Meeting, to their friends and family, to the cause of peace.

    Like

  3. I am remembering my Dad who was a veteran of the Korean War. He was so proud of being a Marine and serving for our country. My Uncle Charlie gave his life for his country. I still remember the day the military vehicle came to our house to inform my Mom as my grandmother was on vacation in CA. I was 9 at the time. My father in law was also a veteran of the Korean War and every time to go to Cape Cod we go the Veterans cemetery to pay our respects. He was an Army medic and never spoke of his time there. I am thinking of all my family members and family friends that served.

    Like

  4. I did not grow up in a military family, in fact my father was 4F during WWII, but I married a career Army officer (whose father was in the Navy in WWII) and my brother also became a career Army officer, as did my son. My nephew is the only one still serving, and he is in the Air Force. We remember a lot of people we knew, especially those that didn’t come home. As I got older and became interested in my family history, I found that in both my family and my husband’s family, there were men in both the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. Today is the day to remember all of them.

    Like

    1. I have become more interested in family history as I’ve gotten older too. My maternal grandfather was a Marine in WWII and I’ve learned a bit about his service recently, much to my enrichment.

      Like

  5. Thinking of my Dad even more so today. He was a veteran serving his country proudly during WWII, Korea and Vietnam. I grew up seeing first hand sacrifices men make in order for others to enjoy the freedoms of this great nation. Some were like my Dad and came home to loved ones – others did not. Today we need to recognize all men and women that served – regardless of branch of the service or length of time served – because we owe them all so much. If you ever doubt that, just look at the news and see how things are in other countries then say a prayer of gratitude for your freedoms and those that have served in order to keep them intact. From my heart and mind, I THANK YOU!
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

    Like

  7. Today, I’m thinking of my dad. He fought in the Pacific in World War II. I’m also thinking of my nephew, Eric, who is a Marine and spent time in combat zones in the Middle East. True heroes!

    Like

  8. Jessie, I’m moved by your comment about wanting to give back to your community in any way you can in memory of the men and women who gave their lives for us and our values. My parents weren’t veterans, but both of them were dedicated to caring for and serving others during their lives, and I remember them with love and gratitude.

    Like

  9. I remember my grandfathers, who were both vets (Navy and Army), my grandmother who was a Navy nurse and even my other grandmother, who isn’t a vet but she was a Rosie the Riveter during WWII.

    And my hubby and dad, who are both alive.

    Like

    1. What a lot of service people in your family! One of my great-grandmothers worked as a welder in a shipyard at the beginning of WWII before she decided to join the army, where she became a nurse.

      Like

  10. My brother was in the Air Force during the beginning of the Korean War but never left the US. My mom became a member of the American War mothers during the Viet Nam conflict and serve in many offices on the local, State, and National level. She and other members would always sell poppies before Veterans Day and the money was used for local veterans.

    Like

  11. Both of my parents, my uncle and his partner all served during WW II. My parents were both stationed in the US, but uncles served overseas. Uncle Ben was in the navy, Uncle Paul in the army, first in Europe then in Japan as part of the occupation. They are all on my mind today.

    Like

  12. My father who passed away at age 64 yrs old from ALS. It took him by surprise. I was just getting to know him again since I was in California and he was in Florida and we did not have alot of money. I did luck out seeing him and he got to know my older son but never got to meet my youngest. I know that he was very happy having grandsons.

    Like

  13. My father was an Army Tank Destroyer unit that got to Europe in France and Germany just as the war ended. He was to be redeployed to the Pacific, but luckily it ended before he went. Then he spent the next years totaling 20 as Battalion Commander of the National Guard. Unfortunately, the year he died, he should have received his 20-year pension, but he did not get it. He had started the paperwork but had not signed it. So unjust. Two of my mother’s brothers were in WWII and one was a prisoner of war in France until he and his fellow officers escaped and took all of the Germans as POWs. My husband was in Vietnam for 14 months and 5 days from 1968 until Jan. 1970 while we were dating. God bless them all and thank them for their service.

    Like

Comments are closed.