Last week I went on a short but poignant field trip with my six year-old and a few of his Cub pack mates.

Since they were heading downtown, I decided to help the pack leaders keep track of these rascals, given they were going to travel by subway. Turns out they really didn’t need me. Attendance was down due to the variety of ills flying around. I was short one myself, my older cub home battling a withering flu. But if you believe in all things happen for a reason, this might have been one of those nights.

Now before I disappoint you, let me preempt the ending with a quick comment. There really is no big climax to this story. It’s much less sublime than maybe you seek.

I learned a fair bit about my city that night, which was great given I originally expected to be watching over my son and his cousin. The trip itself was to visit the cenotaph out front of old Toronto City Hall, and the Ontario War Veterans Memorial at Queen’s Park. Led by “Scouter Dave,” the kids trekked around downtown, fascinated by the lights on the CN Tower, the weather lights on the Canada Life building, and the various hospitals on University Avenue where most of these cubs were hatched, including Mount Sinai for the Harrison boys.

“Scouter Dave” was the real highlight of the night. He patiently explained to the boys the role of our country and our fallen heroes in the two Great Wars, Korea, and today in Afghanistan. He gently helped them understand that we aren’t bombing people in that far away place. But instead we are building schools, forging damns, and replacing infrastructure. He educated these youngsters on why other kids, Dads are risking their lives, for people they had never met before. He helped them understand the pride that we should all share as Canadians.

He also helped me understand how much they do.

I was surfing the net for a project and through an unrelated search came across the story of Master Corporal Jeffrey Walsh, from Regina, who died at 33 in Afghanistan last year. Just yesterday it was announced that Walsh’s family will receive the new “Sacrifice” medal from the Canadian government. It took a year of lobbying, by the deceased’s parents, to convince the government this medal should go to Canadians also felled by friendly fire. For some reason, our government had previously defined “sacrifice” as only dying from enemy fire. (How do these people get their jobs?)

Anyway, the story is about their bittersweet “victory.” You can watch the video yourself… which is obviously quite sad. Watch video.

Pause the video when Walsh’s mother is interviewed. The look on her face is so devastating, so utterly beyond repair, it jarred my senses. The nerve it found deep inside me triggered a replay of standing in the dark shadows of those memorials in downtown Toronto. It made me realize that yes we need to pay tribute to honour those who have fallen for our freedom. But this November we should also honour their families. They too make the ultimate sacrifice when a son, wife, husband, aunt, or daughter doesn’t come home.

Like the family of Mstr Cpl. Walsh, with a young widow left behind to care for three young children.

Who are now left without a father, to take them to cubs.