Two years ago when Heather Campbell was sorting through a box of books she came across a Bible from her grandmother. Tucked inside was an envelope carrying a yellowing letter and a poppy from Flanders Fields sent during the First World War.

含羞草研究社淲hen I discovered that poppy in the Bible it was like 含羞草研究社� I don含羞草研究社檛 know if this is going to sound silly 含羞草研究社� it was almost like a tap on the shoulder, a quiet yet powerful whisper from the past,含羞草研究社� Campbell said in a recent interview.

含羞草研究社淚 was really quite shocked.含羞草研究社�

That poppy was among the many flowers that her great-grandfather, lieutenant-colonel George Stephen Cantlie, sent home with letters to his family. Cantlie served as the first commander of the 42nd Battalion of the Royal Highlanders of Canada.

The flowers are now part of a touring exhibit called War Flowers that is on display at the Chateau Ramezay Historic Site and Museum of Montreal until early January. It will then move to Edmonton.

含羞草研究社淭his exhibit tells stories in a way that balances hope and love with reality, reaching across continents,含羞草研究社� said Campbell, who is a registered nurse in Toronto.

Cantlie enlisted when he was 48 years old in 1915. He fought in battles in Belgium and France.

He sent his wife and one of his five children pressed flowers from the battlefield with his letters.

In a recording shared by Campbell her late aunt Elspeth Angus, who was Cantlie含羞草研究社檚 grand-daughter, describes how he came about his daily ritual.

含羞草研究社淓very night, without fail while he was over there, he wrote two letters. During the day 含羞草研究社� he would pick a flower no matter what it was, whether it was a dandelion or a rose, a forget-me-not, or a daisy, and put it between two pieces of paper that he had brought over with him and press it in a book to dry out so he could use it.含羞草研究社�

The letters to his baby daughter Celia were only a few words long.

In one dated July 4, 1916, he wrote: 含羞草研究社淒ear Wee Celia: With much love from Daddy. At the front Flanders. 1916.含羞草研究社� Folded inside is a twig with red poppies.

Another letter dated 含羞草研究社淔landers, At the Front. 28.6.16,含羞草研究社� contains daisies. 含羞草研究社淒ear Wee Celia,含羞草研究社� it reads. 含羞草研究社淔rom the trenches and shell holes with much love from Daddy.含羞草研究社�

Campbell said the letters and flowers are 含羞草研究社減robably a translatable story into any time of war, any type of adversity.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淢aybe this is a universal message to everyone that people do survive the best they can,含羞草研究社� she said.

含羞草研究社淭hey still can find beauty amidst things that are pretty horrific, and we should celebrate that and remember that. It含羞草研究社檚 really symbolism, isn含羞草研究社檛 it?含羞草研究社�

Her mother described Cantlie as kind and gentle. He died aged 89 on Aug. 30, 1956, when Campbell was about two years old.

Campbell said her aunt recognized the historical significance of the letters she inherited and put the exhibition into motion.

Viveka Melki, the curator of War Flowers, said she was touched by the simplicity of the letters.

含羞草研究社淭his man sends these letters even in the darkest of times. He sends them to his daughter as a symbol of beauty amongst darkness,含羞草研究社� she said.

含羞草研究社淗e doesn含羞草研究社檛 write an extensive letter, but he writes what含羞草研究社檚 essential 含羞草研究社� I love you.含羞草研究社�

Flowers are fragile but they still grew in the middle of battlefields, said Melki.

含羞草研究社淔lowers are a strange thing, aren含羞草研究社檛 they? They almost have a sacred quality to them.含羞草研究社�

Nancy Holmes, associate professor of creative and critical studies at the University of British Columbia, said the flowers sent a message of hope.

含羞草研究社淎nd if you send flowers to your family 含羞草研究社� dried flowers or pressed flowers 含羞草研究社� they are going to imagine that at least you are some place where there is flowers growing so it can含羞草研究社檛 be that bad,含羞草研究社� she added.

Stacey Barker, a historian at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, said flowers are not what come to mind when someone thinks about the First World War.

含羞草研究社淵ou think about mechanized warfare and the horrors of the frontline and death and killing and these flowers are really a stark juxtaposition,含羞草研究社� said Barker.

She said it was 含羞草研究社渜uite poignant含羞草研究社� that Cantlie found 含羞草研究社渢hese little bits of life on the battlefield.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淭hese little, beautiful, fragile things in the midst of absolute carnage and horror and devastation. He was able to find these living, beautiful, delicate things to send home.含羞草研究社�

Hina Alam, The Canadian Press

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