Keep your wits about you

Sherri T.

 

These are not the words of my mother.  They are the words of my father whom I recall this week as   Remembrance Day tributes get under way.

 My dad was a hero who fought for our country in the Second World War.  He was a hero for his fearless reconnaissance work in enemy territory.   He was a hero for his humanitarian efforts in helping to keep many war-torn families together.

He fought for a country that protects freedom and democracy.  He fought for a country that shows care and compassion.  He fought for a country that embodies the values he held dear.

This is the week to remember his words and deeds along with those of other brave soldiers who gave up their livelihoods and, in many cases, their lives to fight for the ideals in which they believed. 

When I think back about my father’s life and his lessons, I clearly recall his constant advice: “Keep your wits about you.” He used to say these words before every school exam. 

I am not sure whether he was warning me to retain everything I had crammed into my head the night before.  Or perhaps he thought I had actually lost my wits when I came home with a 95% score on my exam.  His response: “You didn’t understand the material?  You had trouble with this subject?”

Obviously (I think), he was just kidding.  Then again, maybe my dad really did think I had lost my wits.   

It’s probably more likely that he was advising me to remain calm and composed even under very stressful circumstances.

I often wonder how he managed to survive those gut-wrenching war years, a world away from his family and a step away from death at any moment.  Maybe someone kept quietly telling him: “Keep your wits about you.”  

Maybe that someone was himself.

Lest we forget the brave individuals who fought for the many freedoms my family and I are so fortunate to enjoy today. 

Lest I forget these very wise words that may have provided the guidance and calm my father needed to survive the war years – the most difficult challenge of his life.