It was 5:00 p.m., and the official salute to the fallen men and women of the Canadian armed forces was taking place. I stood and respectfully watched, along with a small group of tourists and visitors, across from the Parliament building in Ottawa, Ontario.

            Once the ceremony had ended, bag pipes led the marching soldiers away from the monument. It was at that time that I heard two melodies: one was the somber pipes accompanying the honor guard; the other was the upbeat music box sound from an ice cream truck parked nearby.

            Such a contrast: somber funereal versus superficial joy.

            No one else seemed to notice the dueling melodies or the contrast in moods. Yet for me it was a reminder that we go daily from ups to downs, from frivolous moments to serious reflection. And sometimes those various moods overlap. We have to be careful not to be overcome by either.

“On a good day enjoy good things, and on an evil day consider:

Both the one and the other God has made,

so that no one may find the least fault with him.” 

Ecclesiastes 7:14