Many years ago, Ron and I were travelling through Austria, and found ourselves in a tiny village with a few hours until our next train. While wandering the streets we came upon a small procession of very old men and women dressed in traditional German and Austrian clothing. They stopped at the edge of a beautiful ornate bridge in front of a World War I and World War II Monument. A small brass band played while a wreath was laid. We stood at a respectful distance as the town remembered the lives lost in the two world wars.
I have never been able to quite understand or describe the range of emotions I felt on that sunny afternoon: as a mother, daughter, and sister, I grieved; as a student of history, I was horrified; as a member of the human race, I was reminded of our seemingly endless propensity to kill each other if sufficiently motivated.
It is impossible to travel through the German countryside without encountering reminders of the most recent world wars. I try to pay attention. And remember.
I still do not have words for all the emotions, but today, I have a song. Ron agrees that while this particular song is beautiful in any language, the German seemed most fitting. Click the box below to play the video.
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