Leaving a Legacy

"So what was the best part of your trip?" I asked my 16 year old the day she returned from a 10 days Western European trip with her school band.

"Visiting Vimy Ridge" she said without hesitation. I was puzzled by her reply. You would think that a group of 16 to 18 years old traveling without parents for the first time would have most appreciated the freedom of choosing what to do, what to eat and when to sleep the best.

"Why Vimy Ridge?" I ask.

"Because the moment I stepped on the grounds I felt like I was home and I was so proud to be a Canadian. I felt very grateful for the sacrifices these soldiers had made to give us our freedom."

Vimy Ridge, battle fought 9-14 April 1917 during WORLD WAR I. The long, low ridge formed a key position linking the Germans' new HINDENBURG LINE to their main trench lines leading north from HILL 70 near Arras, France. Both British and French forces had tried unsuccessfully to take the ridge earlier during the war. In spring 1917 the task was given to the Canadian Corps, commanded by British Lt-Gen Sir J.H.G. BYNG. After careful training and rehearsal, and supported by almost 1000 artillery pieces, the Canadians attacked along a 6.4 km front on 9 April 1917. It was the first time the Canadians attacked together, and they achieved a magnificent victory, sweeping the Germans off the ridge. By April 14 they had gained more ground, more guns, and more prisoners than any previous British offensive had done. Canadian casualties mounted to 10 602, of which 3598 were killed. Nevertheless the sense of achievement and national pride created by this success gave the Canadians a great feeling of self-confidence. The Canadian Corps was to gain recognition as an elite corps. (http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0008376)

After a reading of the poem "In Flanders Fields", the history teacher that accompanied the group on this tour of war memorial sites of Western Europe gave a touching speech. A young man who was turning 18 years old that day had the honor of playing The Last Post on his trumpet. They observed a minute of silence. The silence was eerie. The kids were reverent, some had tears rolling down their cheeks. To close the ceremony, the kids and teachers all held onto an edge of a giant Canadian flag and proudly sang our national anthem "Oh Canada". The tour guide said that this was one of the most touching tributes she had had the priviledge to witness.

My daughter took close to a hundred pictures of the Vimy Cemetery in Pas de Calais in France. She was impressed by the silence and the countless rows of tombstones. There are over 11,100 graves in that cemetery. Each tombstone is engraved with a maple leaf and is adorned with well tended flowers. They spent almost two hours walking the grounds and reading the epitaphs.

We say that teenagers these days are selfish and superficial, craving constant stimulation from MP3 players, internet, video games, etc. Think about it, a group of 25 teenagers spent hours in a cemetery paying homage to Canadian fallen heroes and, for most of them, that day on Vimy Ridge was the most special day of their trip! My hope is that this Europe trip has given my daughter and her young friends a chance to reflect on who they are, why they are who they are and perhaps, think about how they want to leave the world when their time comes.

The soldiers of the first and second World War, our great grandfathers and grandfathers, fought for justice and freedom. Their courage and actions has left a legacy of peace for Canada. In light of this, let's remind ourselves that our actions today will have an impact on our world tomorrow.

As parents, what will be our legacy to our children? How do we set the stage for our children to excel and thrive? How will we leave the environment? Both the physical environment of our planet like the birds and the trees and the psycho-social environment of our communities, workplaces and schools.

What is one thing that I can do today that will contribute to the legacy I want to leave behind? It could be as simple as encouraging my family to go out for a bike ride to appreciate nature and take care of our bodies or as grandiose as starting to write that life-changing book that has been percolating in the back of your mind for years.

What will be your legacy?