blàr anam [8]

“On the morning of November 18, I suddenly went back in mind to a time 25 years or so ago – and for the first time believe I understand how my father must have felt at that time…With my dad, who knew the military bit from his own young manhood, it wasn’t a happy occasion. When it came my turn to be the father, and yours to be the departing soldier, there was no gaiety. I wanted to put into words how much I loved you, to put my arms around you and tell you how proud I was that you were accepting your duties of citizenship – harder for you because the exact image of ‘duty’ is so blurred today. It was all so clear in mine.”
–Arthur Freeman (my grandfather), from a letter to his son David: 2 December 1968

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