Where Families Meet Together

On September 27th, 2008 F.O.S.I.A. (Families of Canadian Soldiers in Afghanistan) held an evening for discussion, support and sharing. (Their next meeting will be Saturday, October 25th.) Their guest speaker was Dr. David Rainham who presented an engaging and resourceful discussion about stress.

Also present this evening was Donna Pickering who is the new Outreach Community Coordinator from London Military Family Resource Centre , announcing that she will be the coordinator out of Cambridge Armouries (part of the RHFC building) for Kitchener, Waterloo, Guelph and Cambridge areas WELCOME DONNA!


At this time she extended an invitation to families of soldiers to attend a"Meet and Greet" sponsored by LMFRC to be held at the centre at:Col. J.A. McIntosh Armoury, 1 Valour Place, Cambridge on Tuesday October 7th. at 7 pm





The group received a thank you card from Cpl. Arnal's mother Wendy. Enclosed in the card was a beautifully expressed poem echoing feelings many military families have.


I placed the poem below (I cannot imagine what she is going through)

Corporal James Hayward Arnal
April 9, 1983 – July 18, 2008


My dearest James,

You died for a cause that was your belief
You made a difference lessening the grief.
Do or do not, there is no try,
Our motto till the day we die.

You travelled the world, many lives you saved,
The road of a vision you paved.
Soldiering for you was the right thing to do,
Awakening Canadian patriotism anew.

Carpe diem, seize the day!
Your legacy will show the way.
You continue to teach what life’s all about,
With each day we have less doubt.

You guide me in spirit and somehow I cope,
With this kind of miss there is no hope.
I love you James with all my heart,
Together forever, even though now apart.

I know you are still with me,
For that I’m sure will always be.
“We can rest when we die” was your fate,
My Hero, number 88.

Love always,
MomXO