At exactly 6 a.m. we couldn't help but look up as two helicopters loudly passed overhead. It was early and very cold but droves of people walked silently to the cenotaph standing tall against the still blackened sky.
Getting as close as we could, the ceremony began.
We were welcomed by a woman minister from one of the local evangelical churches. Her strong accent and even tone made the solemn words that she spoke hang in the air waiting to be understood by those who have never made the kinds of sacrifices she described.
Men of age mostly, who got up that morning and relived memories as they dressed in their black and red, were sprinkled throughout the crowd. Their heads held high except for an occasional dip to dry their eyes with a handkerchief.
The call came for a song to be sung. The one chosen is one of my favorites 'Eternal Father, Strong to Save'. In the stillness of the morning, it is quite a haunting melody.
One thing that was so comforting to me was hearing the presenters speak of God, pray to God and sing of God's saving grace that protects this land. It made me feel a little more at home and I enjoyed the fact that I could observe something that has been a favorite of my husband's for many years.
After asking wreaths to be placed on the cenotaph by various branches of service (including those who fought in the Vietnam war), the national anthem was sung. As my patriotic self, I felt the need to burst into song due to fact that I love New Zealand so very much. However, I refrained and listened to the crowd.
Jared bent down and said 'guns'. I was thankful for that warning as I was not tall enough to see that a gun salute was about to begin and would have dishonorably shrieked had I been taken by surprise.
As they dismissed us in prayer, the sun began to rise to our left and the dawn parade began down the main streets. Many people wore poppy lapel pins that they bought to support the RSA or Returned Services Association. My lovely husband bought one for both of us. :)
After the service ended, many strolled to the cenotaph to place their poppies in honor of those lost.
We returned home and prepared for our crazy day ahead.
We grabbed a quick muffin and coffee at the Coffee House and headed to Wellington around 8:30. Because it was Jared's baptism birthday, it was his day to do whatever he wanted to do. We really enjoyed the trip down. My favorite part being a moment in time when you come around the corner and all you see is waves breaking against the rocks and a vast body of water. I love that!
We made our way to downtown Reading Cinemas to watch 'The Avengers' in 3D. AMAZING...I really liked it although it was much longer than we had planned for. Immediately afterward, we rushed to the Wellington Church building for a surprise party honoring one of our dearest friends, Mery Arulandu.
She was very surprised! It was a great day spent with friends and church family. We got to catch up and just enjoyed the company of everyone. After the party about 3 o'clock, Jared and I went downtown to explore. Jared and I had both wanted to see 'The Beehive' or the Parliament building up close. Being ANZAC day, it was super cool.
There were some statues that we of course had to emulate, even though Jared's was admittedly more ceremonial than mine.
As we turned the corner, we discovered the memorial dedicated to the RSA and the members of the Armed Forces.
Yeah...I teared up. Don't judge. lol.
After a really special and fun day, we headed back to Palmerston North. On the way home...
Enjoyed reading this. Glad you're in New Zealand!
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