23. What Bravery Brings (1/2)

chapter xxii

since the memorable day in december 1943, julia was called a "canadian hero" by all the nurses in her camp. her story, however, reached glen st. mary as well and would never be forgotten. julia's family, as they showed her by the amount of letters she got shortly before christmas, was simply beaming with pride. "if our susan was here," wrote grandmother blythe "she wouldn't allow a single person in canada not to know what you did that night, darling. 'and that you may tie to!'".

julia was, obviously, being very modest about the whole 'situation' but enjoyed the "

eath of popularity", as she called it, and was

eathing it with a smile on her face. "it is so very weird that everyone thinks of me as a huge hero!" she wrote in her diary "i just helped others. that's all i did, and i did it because that's what i was born to do. and i don't think i did it in any way simmilar to the way a hero would do it.".

she was even more surprised when shortly after the new year's eve, she got a letter informing her that she will be awarded the royal red cross medal for her

avery in the nursing service. "you definitely deserve it!" olive exclaimed when she heard the news.

"oh, i know i should say that 'i don't', but after all…" she smiled at the peace of paper she was holding "you don't get medals for

avery everyday, do you?"

dearest bathsheba,

i don't even know how to begin this letter. i don't know how to express how much pride i carry in my heart for you in this very moment. do you know how many times i wrote to you this little phrase (which appears to be my favourite one) "i am so proud of you"? i counted, and i worte it 43 times! and so i will describe my pride for you in this very moment as those 43 times put all together in one place and multiplying it by a million. that's how proud of you i am right now.

the picture you sent me of this special moment when you received the royal red cross medal, i carry in the pocket of my uniform whenever i go and show it to some of soldiers i meet saying: "this is my cousin and the dearest friend." and they nod their heads with respect, although the first thing most of them say to me is: "gosh, she is a pretty thing, ain't she?", and i must say that i couldn't agree more.

now, i shall say that this medal lying on your uniform looks absolutely wonderful and it seems to me as if you were born to wear it. tell me dearest, what are your hopes for the new year? it's hard to believe that it's 1944 already, isn't it? we are at war for five long years now and i'm fed up with it completely and entirely. with every aspect of the war. i hate this word 'war', in my opinion it is an equal word to 'hatred' and 'death'. if i could, i would write the word 'war' as many times as i can, and burn them all in the flames. there, i'm talking about upsetting things again! i do it every single time, don't i? i apologise.

i'm glad that your work is going fine and that both you and olive are quite safe now and optimistic, as always. you won't believe it but i met claire's husband three days ago! general lewis andrews, is a very nice chap and he is so much in love with his wife, it's almost unbearable. tell claire that he sends his love to her.

it's so nice to find another kindred spirits in a place where you don't expect to find them at all. i'm glad that you found amelia and niall. from your description of them, they seem like the most perfect of friends and i'm hoping that i will meet them one day. i don't think there are lots of kindred spirits around me, unfortunately. that's why your letters mean so much to me, you know. they keep me alive and faithful.

thank you for your beautiful response to my poems, i'm more than happy that you like them. and yes, i know they are a bit gloomy at times, but that's what the war does with the man's

ain, doesn't it?

i've heard about you

other's marriage and i must say that i'm quite surprised that walt, our walt, was capable of something like a secret marriage! i shall write him a letter telling him that he is completely unpredictable and that i won't look at him in the same way again. but either ways, i feel very happy for him, and i must say that i even envy him, that he has the chance to come back home, even without a leg.

you ask me about cornelia. she's more than fine, i assure you. she's been more than fine ever since marshall came back from the front and settled down in charlottetown, with our cilia. she constantly writes to me about our future wedding and really, sometimes it makes my head burn. you know how talkative she is, but this is just too much at times. her description of the wedding cake took her whole two pages to write! now, let's stop laughing, i know she is excited and i'm excited too, in a way. one can't be excited when the war is all around you.

i will leave it there, because i really have to go to sleep and be ready for the morning.

your not-excited but very proud,

flight officer blythe ford

dearest daughter,

me and your mother are the proudest parents you can possibly imagine. when we heard the news about the bombing of your camp, we were terrified and couldn't sleep that night, until your telegram came telling us that you're fine.

your matron wrote to us, you know, and she described in details what you did that night. i read out the letter outloud to our whole family and everyone fell silent the second i finished reading it. we are all so proud of you, julia, that it's even hard to put it in words, you dear daughter o'mine. i could never dream, twenty years earlier when you were just a small baby giggling in my arms, that you will grow into such powerful woman you are today. and the royal red cross medal you got, was just a perfect conclusion to how we all feel right now. remember, julia, wear it with pride and don't ever say "it's nothing." because it's much more than that. if it would be nothing, you would get nothing, and that's the one and only truth.

walt and lily are living happily with us in our house on the hill. me and your mother are so happy to have at least one of our children back, and lily really is a darling and she is almost like our third daughter. walt is looking for a job as a mathematics professor and he already got a few replies from many parts os the island. i just hope that he'll move to a place near glen.

cee is sending you her latest paintings of the landscape here is glen. she has a wonderful gift of capturing the peacefulness of the fields.

your grandfather meredith is a little bit ill at the moment, but i'm sure he'll get out of it easily. "i feel better already!" he said when i