Love from me to you...My Soldiers. My Heroes.

From the time I was a mere child of about 6 or 7 years old, my parents used to say I had an inexplicable admiration for the soldiers of Sri Lanka. I remember never failing to wave to each and every single soldier we passed by on Baudhdhaloka Mawatha; while on the way to school, and seeing a quizzical smile light up their faces as they waved back to a a beaming little school child.

There was this one time, when we had a former-trooper as as security guard in our housing scheme and as I recall he was trying to learn English little by little and develop himself enough to get a stable job elsewhere. So I can still vaguely remember teaching him all the English I knew as a 6-year old i.e the English Alphabet. I did this for a couple of my summer-holiday-mornings as I played outside while my grandma did the gardening and what's more is that I even tested him each morning to assess how good a student he was. I was so fond of him I was a bit upset for awhile after he left services as our security guard.

Then there were the times my parents used to joke around that in my previous birth I must have been in the army, because:

1) I didn't use to sit on chairs and sofas to watch TV, instead I used to lie down on my stomach on the floor with my elbows to the ground and watch, little realizing how much it resembled how my soldiers silently spent most of their time on the battleground.

2) I used to faint at the sight blood. Still do.

3) My favorite childhood song was Ran Malak Lesa. I used to sing along to it and watch the video every time I used to catch it while my parents watched TV. I recently found the link on YouTube and thought I'd post it here to treasure it and keep: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDPW0KonYo0

All the anecdotes aside, this is a post just to express how grateful and in love with I am for all those brave souls who put our country and all its children ahead of their own lives. I don't know how you did it,  but I respect you. I don't think I would have ever been able to convince myself to do so and where would we all be if nobody was as courageous as you. Despite the end of The War, remember that you are still loved, you are still very-much needed, so keep fighting the good fight to help maintain Peace and build community. Never fear or be discouraged for we are behind you, always.

No it's not all just talk and no action. As a schoolchild, our Interact Club visited, entertained and provided care packages for some of the Sri Lanka Military serviceman residing at the Ranaviru Sevana, Ragama. I hope to do more whenever I can afford to. Just as an idea, I know that my mother had sponsored a child of a Soldier during the war and so if you want to do so as well, do it. Even though the War is over, these children sometimes don't get much time with THEIR own blood and OUR heroes, so make them feel like they're cared for just like their parents care for us.

*Insert photograph. Yet to capture a beautiful moment with soldiers and a bunch of happy children looking up to them *

Sincerely,
Your Valentine.