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?
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