November 11, 1918 – One Hundred and two years ago – marked the end of WWI, the Great War to End all Wars, that had begun four long, bloody years earlier. Millions of bright-eyed, able bodied men marched off to war ready to right the wrong of the assignation of Arch-Duke Franz Ferdinand of Austria.
The Balkan states in Europe and Russia had been in conflict about Serbian nationalism for years. Many countries around the world condemned the Serbian government for the assassination and sides began to form.
From National Geographic’s website on WWI:
“Convinced that Austria-Hungary was readying for war, the Serbian government ordered the Serbian army to mobilize and appealed to Russia for assistance. On July 28, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, and the tenuous peace between Europe’s great powers quickly collapsed.
Within a week, Russia, Belgium, France, Great Britain and Serbia had lined up against Austria-Hungary and Germany, and World War I had begun.”
It may seem like ancient history to you – and indeed in some ways it is – but my grandfather and three of his brothers, my grandmother’s brother, and perhaps even someone from your family tree fought in this war. For America, it was the bloodiest, most horrific war since the American Civil war, killing over 20 MILLION soldiers and civilians and wounding another 21 MILLION people – many who died later from their wounds, or suffered the rest of their lives.
Why is this important?
This is about the events that led up to a war (that actually was the precursor to WWII, which was the deadliest military conflict in history. An estimated total of 70–85 million people perished, in WWII or about 3% of the 1940 world population (est. 2.3 billion.)
November 11, Armistice Day throughout the world, is about remembering all of the fallen. All the Veterans of all countries that have given service to their fellow humans.
But for me, it’s also a stark reminder that here in the US, unless we change course, we are headed down the same path. This is about looking at nationalism – and how unifying or divisive it can be.
When I was a child and teen, I would go shopping in downtown Ogden, Utah. I remember seeing veterans every November. Old men with missing limbs, in their wheelchairs, with pain etched in their faces, with haunted eyes, still dealing with the PTSD and memories of their battle-field horrors and the loss of their friends and men in arms. They were selling paper poppies as a way to raise money for Veteran’s organizations and to help us all remember the horrors of war, and the men and women, both military and civilian, who perished.
As an empath (I didn’t know that term then!), I would immediately tear up, feeling profound grief. It was often even physically painful for me, as I could feel the pain many of those men still lived with. I didn’t understand why I felt what I was feeling, but the images and emotions are still startlingly clear to this day.
In this country right now, we are deeply divided by the election events and results of this last week. Rage, bullying, name calling, hatred, divisiveness, nationalism, seems to be the norm. Misinformation and disinformation is heightening these emotions and creating even greater division. And calls for civil war, physical harm, and protracted court battles, are being spoken in whispers or shouted from social media.
This destructive type of nationalism is the exact circumstance that led up to an assassination that set off not one, but two, world wars that killed over 120 MILLION PEOPLE – including many of our brightest and best.
Today I hear the words, “civil war”, being thrown around glibly and blithely, as if there are absolutely NO consequences to such violence.
I’ll be honest, it scares me. Because I KNOW what happens when that match of hatred and divisive nationalism is lit. I KNOW how it impacts not just those who fight (and die), but how it also impacts future generations because of the PTSD of those who served and don’t know how to heal the horrors of war in their minds, bodies and souls.
My family is the recipient of such PTSD spawned by the horrors of war. My family is not alone. In fact, millions of families in the US (and around the world) struggle daily with the traumas from more recent wars, as well as the unhealed traumas from family generational traumas caused by wars that were waged centuries before today.
I write this article to honor the service of all Veterans everywhere. I also write this as a call for peace. For Armistice. For cooler heads, and for taking a step back from the brink of conflict.
We are not each others’ enemies. What I would like to ask you is “What is it about this circumstance that makes you so angry, and why?”
It’s easy to point the finger at each other. To call each other names. To believe that the other side is misguided, gullible, stupid, brainwashed and evil.
Perhaps what we think is true. Perhaps it isn’t. But if it is bringing up strong emotions for you like rage, hatred, betrayal, injustice, etc., I invite you to look at where else in your life these emotions began. What does it remind you of?
Were you bullied? Unfairly punished for something you didn’t do? What does “this” remind you of? And are these emotions really even YOURS?
I remind you that Anger is actually a higher frequency than shame or guilt. (David Hawkins, Power vs Force.) Anger can move us to make changes in our own lives. But it can also destroy – ourselves and others. Love and compassion are far higher frequencies than anger. But until we can heal the underlying wound or trauma that anger is masking, we cannot get to that place of compassion, understand and love for ourselves or others.
Before we go into any kind of “battle” with another, I urge you to look at the very painful emotions underneath the righteous anger and indignation. What is really fueling the need to lash out at others? Why do you feel the way you do? And do you really believe the narrative going on in your head? Does it make you feel peaceful and joyful? Or rageful and wanting to lash out?
We ALL have wounds that make us want to hurt ourselves or others. But part of our personal and collective evolution is to gain self-mastery through inner exploration and healing the hurt within. Until we do that, we will forever have national and global conflict. I certainly don’t want that – and I know you don’t either.
I want to thank and honor all of our Veterans on this Day that is designed to remember our fallen service men and women. To honor our dead and take stock of how we can embody peace, compassion and good will.
And finally, are you consciously choosing war? Or are you choosing peace? Help me choose peace. I’m here to help if you want to explore more and to find that place of inner peacefulness. Email me at Michelle@QuantumSoulClearing.com and let’s talk.
My work in the world is to help heal trauma. The Quantum Soul Clearing Process™ is a spiritual technology designed to heal and eliminate the frequencies of trauma that fuel things like addiction, family and person dysfunction, and all the fall-out from any kind of trauma. It’s big mission. But it’s important to help people heal. To help avoid the horrors of unresolved trauma that lead to more division and war.
In Flanders Fields
by John McCrae, May 1915
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.
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