Discovering the past

The impact of World War One still ricochets through the enchanting landscape of Belgium. On my travels I saw numerous landscapes and tasted exquisite foreign delicacies. The sleepiness of Belgium is entrapping as the delightful country harbors a historic charm. However, what I will last in my memory from my visit to Belgium was the heart breaking view of countless pristine ivory tombstones. The silence of the graveyard is truly haunting and forces you to feel the somber and senselessness of the numerous deaths that occurred on the graceful land. Pictures, descriptions and paintings (some from soldiers perspectives) depicted in museums capture the historic moments of tireless waiting and brutality. The mass tombstone where numerous German soldiers lay rest is a testimony to the cruelty of war. Many bodies and names of soldiers are still lost. I prepared myself for Belgium's historic cardinal tombs by reading on the history of World War One. But nothing prepared me for the sheer shock of seeing the final resting place of numerous men. My mother informed me that my Great Granddad was buried among the masses. I did not originally foresee how difficult it would be to come across his grave. We often look back at history and express a sense of relief that we were not born into those difficulties. When I saw my Great Grandfather's grave, I felt a sense of pride that he was surrounded and united by others, perhaps friends, enemies all united in defending freedom. When I visited in Spring poppies where blooming and nature was there to remind visitors that despite life ending, something new can come and take its place. Beauty and life, still exudes in a place where horror cannot be forgotten.