Dear colleagues from beyond the Rhine,

This is no ordinary day. This is a day to remember: that peace and friendship are fragile and fleeting gifts in the world of humans, and never should been taken for granted.

100 years ago the first world and first slaughter war ended. Europe committed suicide and let itself slide into the abyss for barely more than misplaced pride and inflated national egos.

This is why I am sending you today a message of peace and friendship because the flame of remembrance needs to be constantly rekindled and the lessons from this butchery piously meditated.

My own grandfather was sent to the front in August 1914 to fight this silly war at the age of 20. My sons are 21, 19, and 16. May they never be sent to war, any war.

Sorry if this sounds overblown, but I do feel this is worth it, so great is our fellow humans’ capacity to forget and err again.

« Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it » (Santayana).

Enjoy a peaceful Sunday

Ps : this is a slightly edited version a real letter (actually an email) I wrote to a group of German work colleagues on 12 November 2018. The occasion was the 100th anniversary of the armistice of WW1. J’ai écrit en anglais, ma maîtrise de l’allemand n’étant pas suffisante.