My parents always brought me up to say please and thank you.
It has stayed with me my all life and although it’s not unusual for me to curse at my computer – or myself – I try to be courteous to others.
It doesn’t take much, but can mean a lot.
On Remembrance Sunday, we found ourselves in London when the clock struck 11am.
Usually, we’d be at our village war memorial, bowing our heads with others. When November 11 has fallen on any other day, I always do my best to pay my respects at the given time. If I’m at work, I stop; if I’m in the car, I pull over; if I’m out and about, I stand still.
The two-minute silence is observed on the eleventh hour on the eleventh day of the eleventh month – Armistice Day, the day which marks the end of the First World War.
For many of us, Remembrance is a time to recognise not only the sacrifice in the First World War, but every conflict since.
Whether you agree with going to war or not, Remembrance isn’t just about that.
It’s about recognising the sacrifices ordinary people made to ensure we can live the lives we lead today.
Many who went to war did so because they were told to, not because they chose to.
And let us not forget the families left behind who gave up so much too, waiting at home for news they didn’t want to hear and working hard to keep this country going in the toughest of circumstances.
Two minutes out of your life – to stop what you are doing and say thank you – isn’t asking much. Saying thank you costs nothing, but can mean everything.
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