Armistice Day

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

by Lt. Col. John McCrae

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30% of US troops develop serious mental health problems within 3 to 4 months of returning home. (Brooklyn Institution)

In 2002 the number of active-duty US soldiers who attempted suicide was 350. By 2007 the figure had risen to 2,100. (CNN)

300,000 children are currently thought to be serving as soldiers, guerrilla soldiers, porters, sexual slaves and suicide commandos in armed conflicts around the world. (UNICEF)

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Sometimes I think when we're getting bogged down by our own problems / inadequacies / frustrations, it's useful to remember what some people out there are being confronted with day after day. It doesn't make our own problems disappear, but hopefully it gives some perspective.