“We’ll Meet Again”

It’s VE Day this Friday, celebrating 75 years since the end of the Second World War. In preparation for the sing-along in the evening, I located “We’ll Meet Again” on Amazon Music and have been listening to it on loop as I do things in the kitchen, since until now I didn’t know the words. It’s a beautiful song of hope, and I’m not surprised it’s resonating so much with people at this time.

With all the street parties and other gatherings now obviously cancelled, we’re finding other ways to celebrate. Today or tomorrow I will be making some bunting for my windows, and I’ll be staying up late on the night to watch on the television. I don’t know what else I’ll be doing yet, but I’ve got a few more days to figure it out.

It struck me yesterday when listening to the song, that I don’t believe it’s a coincidence that the 75th anniversary—obviously a big one—falls in 2020. It will be a big morale boost just when it’s most needed, at a time when the post-war generations can empathise more with what it must have been like during those years. And when I sing along to “We’ll Meet Again”, it’s more than positive thinking or optimism for me. It’s an expression of faith.