R is for Remembrance

R is for Remembrance, remember that. The question is what should we remember? Today in Australia and New Zealand it is ANZAC day. On the 25th of April Australian and New Zealand Armed Corps beached at Gallipoli and got slaughtered. Thus on this day we remember all those people who have given their lives in war. I was a bit anti this when I was young, until I ended up having a brother-in-law in active service one ANZAC day. I then realised it was not the killing of the enemy that we were remembering, but the lives of people believing that they were there doing the best for their country, whether history has proven otherwise or not.
My brother-in-law, being involved in helping the locals and not so much attacking their enemies came back alive but I appreciate his efforts made towards a better world.
The reason I was in Auckland was for a family funeral. My father-in-law died of Cancer last week and I firmly believe that we should remember him on his birthday in thanks to God for giving us him for the time he was on earth and through him of course I have a wonderful wife, so there is a lot to be thankful for. But I cannot see any reason to commemorate the day he died, for it was his life, not his death he will be remembered for. As with my own father, I do not know the date of his death when he had a heart attack many years ago, but I will always remember the day he was born.
Many a tragedy has happened in the world, should we remember the tragedy, should we celebrate the means of how good people died, or should we remember their lives and the differences they made to our own lives?