A chance to learn what freedom really means
- Melinda Hill, OSU Extension Wayne County
- May 24, 2024
- 605
Memorial Day is a time of reflection for my family. While visiting my parents last weekend, we talked about the family members who served and how we would like to honor them this year.
Observed on the last Monday in May, Memorial Day is an American holiday honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. Military. There are several community events you might seek out to share with your family, but more importantly, it is the time to have a conversation about why we want to remember them.
My grandmother always referred to Memorial Day as Decoration Day because that’s when we honored family members by decorating their graves in memory of their lives. Following the visit to the cemetery, a family reunion would take place with favorite foods and a time of storytelling.
My great-grandfather was injured in World War I and returned legally blind. My great-uncles served in Europe, and my father served in Korea. While these events were decades ago, I still savor the stories that are told sitting around the table. Whether I realized it or not, these were the foundational conversations that built the character trait of citizenship.
A citizen is defined as a member of a community, state or nation. As a citizen we have both rights and responsibilities, and it’s important to help our children understand we have our freedom today because others fought for it. What are other ways to help teach being a good citizen? We can start with the conversation of understanding the rules of our community and those of our home. We can share with them the taxes we pay and what it means to be part of the community and the ability we have to vote for those we feel will be representative of our values and beliefs.
Because we know children model what they see and hear, we realize our actions are one of the best ways to teach citizenship. We also can share by doing the following:
—Being respectful of others and the things they own.
—Learning of the concerns in the community and issues of elections.
—Developing a caring attitude for others and what empathy looks like.
—Realizing that along with my personal views, others also can have their views. I may or may not agree with them.
It’s a very different world today for our youth and with our teens spending more than nine hours every day online. It’s important we also discuss the term “digital citizen.” When that time is invested online, they are choosing not to do other things like volunteering or helping at home. Instead of having a list of do’s and don’ts, we might have discussions like:
—What does honesty look like? Why is that important to you and to our family?
—Are you empathetic? How do you show that to your friends and family members?
—What do you take pride in doing? What is our work ethic and why is that important? Where did you learn it or who do you admire?
—What historic fact do you think made an impact on your freedom? Do you know family members who could tell you more information?
—What does it mean to be responsible, and why is it important?
Did you know each year on Memorial Day a national moment of remembrance takes place at 3 p.m. local time? It also is customary to fly the flag of the United States at half-staff from dawn until noon, then raise it full staff.
Why is it important we think about Memorial Day as more than a three-day weekend with lots of consumer sales? Besides the history of the day, it’s a time for all of us to pause and remember all Americans who have fought in the past to keep this country safe and free. It can be a time to talk about all the branches of the military and how they have made our lives better.
Check out the local services or parades that are going on in your community and consider making it part of your new traditions. Maybe take flags or flowers to put on the graves of men and women who served in past wars or pause at 3 p.m. for the national moment of remembrance. Consider new traditions that embrace citizenship opportunities. Let us never forget or take for granted that we live in the land of the free, because of the brave.
For more information visit www.enrichingstudents.com/what-it-means-to-be-a-good-digital-citizen/.
Melinda Hill is an OSU Extension family and consumer sciences educator and may be reached at 330-264-8722 or hill.14@osu.edu.