A different sort of adoption.

For the first time in years, I didn't buy a poppy for Remembrance Day this year. I feel awful - guilty, even - and after reading Melisa's post and various others, it made me feel worse.

My grandfather fought in WWII, and although he rarely spoke of it as he felt ashamed for what he had done (he was the Bomb Aimer on Lancaster planes) I was always so proud of his bravery and strength. My Nan worked like an ox in the Land Army, working the fields and keeping the farms alive whilst the men were out fighting. One of my oldest and dearest friends, Chicken, is in 2nd Commando Regiment - the very regiment affected by grief after the loss of one of their men in training only a few weeks ago - and is soon to be shipped off to Afghanistan in the near future. As a result, I usually hold Remembrance Day quite close, as a way to remember my Grandad, thank my Nan for all she did for her country and subsequently my own freedom, and pray for Chicken's safe return.

So when I realized this year had passed me by without my own contribution towards RD, I wondered what I could do. And then, I found Julesie's blog - and the amazingly wonderful idea of 'Adopting A Soldier', a concept I never knew existed, and one I plan on embracing as soon as pay day swings around. I hope someone does something as wonderful as this for our own Aussie troops, and my darling Chicken gets some love and luxuries from home from someone other than his mother and I.


On a side note, it's a shame one can't actually adopt the soldiers, and bring them on home when they're done with their duty, kind of like a race horse or sniffer dog. I'd know exactly what to get my mother for Christmas, if that were the case.