Lest We Forget

I never fully understood the meaning of loss until recently.

I’ve lived a privileged life, having only lost a few family members (both paternal grandparents) very early in my childhood. At the age of 34, I finally suffered a big loss.

On June 19th, 2025, my Bappu Ji (Maternal Grandfather) passed away.

My Bappu Ji was the poster boy for longevity, living until the age of 94. When I was born, I spent the majority of my early years with him and my Bee Ji (Grandmother). My Father would tell me stories of how it got so bad that I would barely recognize him, crying from fear when he’d pick me up and running back into the arms of my Baps and Beebs.

To say the least, my Grandfather left a significant impression on me.

Shortly after my Grandfather’s passing, my family and I were on holiday at a cottage in Southampton, Ontario. During a morning run through the quiet town square, I came across the memorial above, commemorating the fallen heroes from Southampton who served in the Great War, over a century ago. A plaque was fixed to the memorial, listing the names of the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for our nation, and at the bottom, an inscription from the poem In Flanders Field.

“To you, from failing hands, we throw the torch. Be yours to hold it high.”

It seems that fate had brought me to this moment. Looking towards the water, and up at the blue sky, I couldn’t help but feel at peace.

Ever since the loss of my Bappu Ji, I’ve been asking the question: how can we keep the memory of our loved ones alive?

Is it by holding onto and adopting their beliefs and stories? Perhaps.

Or is it by living and breathing the values which they lived their lives?

I’m not quite sure. What’s helped me cope with the loss is realizing that although my Bappu Ji has passed, his memory and spirit can live on through my actions.

When I think of my generation, I feel we’ve missed the mark. Our moral compass feels lost. Our world has transformed through technology to be self-serving and inwardly focused. Everyone today suffers from some type of mental trauma and “uncertain times” even though we’ve never lived more comfortably and advantaged lives, with the worlds pleasures and resources available at our fingertips.

What we really are missing, is perspective and a sense of gratitude to those who have walked the path before us. Who have laid the foundation on which we stand.

As I reflect on this years Remembrance Day, I think of my Grandfather and his contemporaries. The Greatest Generation. They were born at a time of immense economic uncertainty, living through the Great Depression and World War 2. Their generation produced the civil rights movement, lifted millions out of poverty and left an indelible mark on modern society.

Today, I hope we all take a moment of silence to reflect and give thanks to those who have fallen. For one day, we will join them. And when that day comes, I hope that we will have done everything in our power and ability to ensure the next generation is in a better place. So we can pass the torch to our children, and have them carry it forward, holding their heads high with pride and gratitude.

For my Bappu Ji, I will hold the torch high, and celebrate his memory by ensuring I continue to blaze the path forward.

Thanks for reading.

Much love.

SG

Build. Understand. Discipline. Stillness. “B.U.D.S” is written by me, Dr. Shawn Gill - I’m a pharmacist and Father of two boys. During the day, I work as a medical science liaison and deprescribing pharmacist, helping translate scientific data and clinical evidence, as well helping patients reduce their medication needs, safely and effectively. At night, I write this newsletter. B.U.D.S is a community that’s focused on inspiring individuals to take account of their health and wellness, as well as reverse mental health and chronic disease. If you’d like to support this mission, please subscribe below. Much love. SG