Why A Poppy?
Sometimes, the smallest things carry the biggest meaning.
Have you ever noticed veterans wearing little red poppies on their lapels on Memorial Day and wonder why?
It started during World War I. In the spring of 1915, bright red flowers began poking through the battle-ravaged fields of northern France and Flanders (now Belgium). Canadian Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, a brigade surgeon serving during the brutal Second Battle of Ypres, spotted a cluster of those poppies and wrote this poem:
In Flanders Fields
by John McCrae
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.
This poem breaks my heart. What must it feel like—to remember sunsets, to remember loving and being loved? And then to feel so ravaged and inconsequential after fighting hard and losing some of his mates?
Amid all he’s fighting for, there’s a quiet understanding of something deeper: our smallness in the grand sweep of time. That even when we are gone, the poppies will still grow.
This Memorial Day, I hope you find a moment to pause and reflect—to honor those who have served and continue to serve. Because while we may be here for only a short time, the love we show, and the sacrifices we make, can echo far beyond us—leaving something lasting for those who follow.
I wish you a red poppy day!
Barbara
May 25, 2025
Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal. Investors should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of the investment company carefully before investing. The prospectus and, if available, the summary prospectus contain this and other important information about the investment company. You can obtain a prospectus and summary prospectus from your financial representative. Read carefully before investing.
