SOME GAVE ALL

SOME GAVE ALL

This weekend is Memorial Day weekend. School will be out for another year in many places across America. Families will be headed to the beach, to the mountains, to the lakes and rivers for a weekend of relaxation and fun. It’s a holiday, right? It’s a time to get away, right? It’s a family time, right? That’s the American way, right?

RIGHT!

We do those things. And that’s OK. But can we step back just a bit in the middle of our fun and relaxation and consider the ‘day’? Can we slow down just long enough to think about the real purpose of the Holiday?

This day is like no other day. For it is on this day that time is specially set aside to honor those who have given their lives during military service for our country, America. Now I think we should honor these every day. Their names and stories should be remembered always. And we can all keep their memory alive by cherishing our freedoms and living life to its fullest with a heart of humility and gratitude for every freedom we have. But on this day, this holiday, this Memorial Day, can we all make a special effort to express that gratitude?

Let’s consider the sacrifice we are talking about. Beginning with the Civil War down through today, over 1.2 million military personnel have died during military conflict while serving our country, America. I could break the numbers down for you by conflict, but those stats are easy to find. I like to think beyond the numbers though. Each one of those ‘numbers’ represents something so much more…a son, a daughter, a brother, a sister, a cousin, a friend, a husband, a wife, a grandchild, a widow, a single parent, a lonely child, an emptiness, a loneliness, a sadness, a cry...and so much more.

This is Memorial Day, a time to remember, a time to contemplate, a time to appreciate, a time to_________…you decide that last one. How will you honor the sacrifice that has been paid for your freedom?