Meaning of Memorial Day
In just a few days all of us will have an opportunity to say Thank You to a very special group of people, some who are here to accept our gratitude and others who will be honored by ceremonies at their gravesites.As a mom, I have watched two sons go off to the military and heard stories of wartime hardships from a father-in-law, uncles, and brothers. Each of them gave a part of themselves to make my life better, and for that I thank each of them.
Every morning I walk out of my home, start my car and head off to work or play. It never crosses my mind to hesitate to turn the key, to be afraid to enter a group of people, to wonder if the footsteps I hear at that gathering might be someone intending to deprive me of my freedom to be a part of that crowd.
I have the freedom to talk to my children each day, to hug my grandchildren, to watch little ones play in the schoolyard without fear, to see young adults graduate and head off to college, all thanks to a man or woman who served or is now serving in the military.
In my opinion, we take too much for granted in this country. We accept all of these freedoms as though they are our right and privilege, just because we are Americans. No, we have them because members of the military have fought to retain them for us. Some have given their lives, some a limb or an eye. Some have lost their families simply because they were gone and the family could not make it without them. Very few members of the military leave their years of service, whether in wartime or not, without scars, mental or physical, as a result.
As we lead up to the Memorial Day weekend, take a moment to stop and think as you go about your daily life, of what might be different if men and women in the military had not died for you, had not served all over the world to make your life better when theirs wasn’t very good. If you are lucky enough to see a soldier in uniform, take the time to shake his or her hand and say thanks. And on the day set aside to honor those who gave their lives so that we might have ours, go to the cemetery, look at the many small flags next to gravestones, listen to taps and the 21-gun salute, and be grateful for those who have served for us in the past and who are serving at this moment to make our lives what they are today.