Two Minutes

Today, at the eleventh hour, with red poppies pinned close to our hearts, Canadians across our nation will share two silent minutes of reflection and respect to remember those who served our country.

Two minutes for those whose hearts ceased beating far too soon.

Two minutes for countless, selfless acts of courage given in exchange for our freedom.

Two minutes for indescribable sacrifice.

It's an honour and a privilege for Canadians to pause to remember and respect those who serve.

At this time last year, we had lost 97 of our sons and daughters in Afghanistan, and I listed these soldiers names then. By April of this year, we lost 20 more and their names appear here. As of today, we have lost 133 men and women in Afghanistan. The additional 16 names are below.

Major Michelle Mendes, 30 • Private Alexandre Péloquin, 20 • Corporal Martin Dubé, 35 • Corporal Nicholas Bulger, 30 • Master Corporal Charles-Philippe Michaud, 28 • Master Corporal Pat Audet, 38 • Corporal Martin Joannette, 25 • Private Sébastien Courcy, 26 • Corporal Christian Bobbitt, 23 • Sapper Matthieu Allard, 21 • Major Yannick Pépin, 36 • Corporal Jean-Francois Drouin, 31 • Private Patrick Lormand, 21 • Private Jonathan Couturier, 23 • Lieutenant Justin Garrett Boyes, 26 • Sapper Steven Marshall, 24

We pause in memory of thousands of Canadian men and women who sacrificed their lives for us in the First World War, the Second World War, the Korean War, the Afghanistan conflict and various peacekeeping missions.

Canada remembers. May we never forget.

Posts of the Week

The icon/award to the left here is yours for the taking if your blog post has been named as a Post of the Week - either as top post or as a runner up, today or in past weeks.

This week's top Post of the Week goes to:

The Beginning of the End

by Protege at Life Through Reflections

Other wonderful posts in no particular order are:

The Dance We Do

by Land of Shimp

at Land of Shimp

In Living Colour

by EthelMaePotter

at The Adventures of Fred and Ethel

How Many Hugs Have You Had Today?

by Smiles4U

at My Life Interrupted.

The November of My Life

by Steph

at Incurable Insomniac

Still Looking for Fall Color

by Maria

at Gardening with Turtles

Ever Have One of Those Moments?

by Kcinnova

at Kcinnova's World

Elective Affinities

by Merisi

at Merisi's Vienna for Beginners

The Last Roses

by Tabor

at One Day at a Time


A Hardworking Grandma
by Sandra
at Add Humor and Faith

Also...

Recommended by Kevin at Blunoz Random Ramblings:
Values by Mary Alice at From the Frontlines


Recommended anonymously:
Today I Am 52 by PHST at Pseudonymous High School Teacher


Please drop by their blogs for a visit and leave a kind comment if you have the time. Also, please feel free to add your own choices for a specific top post in the comments section below, where others can see them.

Please note that next week's POTW will return to its regularly scheduled Wednesday. Please return for a Remembrance Day post tomorrow.

Thanks for stopping by!