Lily and the Poppy Garden – A Remembrance Day Story

Lily adored her grandmother’s garden. The garden was full of vibrant flowers of every shade, but her favorites were the bright red poppies that looked like they were dancing with every breeze. One morning, she noticed her grandmother fastening a small red poppy to her sweater.

“Grandma, why are you wearing that flower?” Lily asked with curiosity, her gaze locked on the tiny red blossom.

Her grandmother smiled gently and bent down to Lily’s level. “This little poppy is very special, Lily,” she said. “Today is Remembrance Day—when we honor those who helped make the world a safer place for us.”

Lily looked around at the flowers swaying gently in the garden. “So, are the poppies here also for remembering them?” she asked wide-eyed.

Grandma held Lily’s hand with warmth. “Yes, sweetheart,” she replied. “Many years ago, after a big war, fields were filled with poppies growing where many brave people had been. So we wear poppies to remember them and as a way to say thank you.”

Lily thought for a moment, and then her face lit up with an idea. “Can we say thank you too, Grandma? Can we also do something special to remember them?”

Grandma’s eyes sparkled. “What a lovely idea, Lily! Let’s do one thing. Let’s pick some poppies from the garden and make a wreath with them, and place it by our old oak tree. This can be our way of remembering them.”

They carefully picked few brightest red poppies from the garden and made them into a wreath. Lily tied a small ribbon around it, one she had written herself that said, “Thank You.”

Then she and her grandmother placed the wreath under the oak tree. “Every Remembrance Day, we have a moment of silence for a minute, thinking of peace and kindness,” Grandma explained.

Lily felt this quiet moment. She closed her eyes for a bit and then glanced at the wreath swaying in the breeze. She thought about the people who had made the world safe, even though she had never met them.

As they walked back, Lily felt a warm feeling inside. She had learned something new—that remembering others was a way of showing love and respect, even for those she didn’t know. And from that day on, every year, Lily wore her little poppy proudly, understanding now just how much it meant.